CATALYST
by Night-kun
Summary: "What if I were to tell you everything was a lie? That the Founding King wasn't who he said he was. The Embryo had never once granted a wish, and Hinamori Amu was never the Lock's owner in the first place ...What would you say? How would you feel? How would you react...? The look on your face tells me all- You Guardians are all so petty."
1. Father's Little One

**Disclaimer-**

 **The following is a fanfic-based story parody,** _ **Shugo Chara!**_ **Is property of** _ **Peach-Pit**_ **,** _ **Nakayoshi**_ **, and** _ **Kodansha.**_ **Also, I own the image so please do not steal. Thank you.**

 **Please support the official release.**

…

 **P.S- The series follows the mainly the manga, but a little of the anime. It all depends, however.**

 **P.P.S- This is the revised vision of this story! Your welcome to read the last one, but I won't (obviously) continue it.**

* * *

 **A/N:** **So… I made this decision again. Hopefully it goes well. Thanks to whoever clicked my story, and is giving it a chance.**

 **Official summary for** _ **Two Owners!**_ **-**

 **It seemed so long ago, this all started. All of this. Did I even think it would turn out like this at the time? Probably not, after all I did go into my 'mission' blindly. Heh, oh how my mother and sibling's would be disappointed in me.**

 **Well, they're dead now… At least some of them are. But back to the matter at hand though, Seiyo Academy and them.**

…

 **Hinamori Amu and the Guardians… They're nice, but what a joke. Do they even know the term of 'pain'? Fighting against Easter without a care of what they are really capable of…**

… **Hmm, I guess they'll learn soon.**

 **Basics of story- Amu wasn't the first owner of the Humpty Lock, that's all you need to know.**

 **Onward.**

* * *

Quote of the day:

" _The burger of the day is: New Beaconing's."_ – Bob Belcher ( _Bob's Burger_ )

* * *

 ** _"Father, is it done?"_**

" _ **I think so, hmm."**_

"…"

"… _ **Wait… Heh, maybe not, but it will be soon. Don't you worry about it, Alice."**_

" _ **You said a man had the key, right? Do you think he could give it to us?"**_

" _ **No, I don't think so. He gave it to his son, maybe if you get the chance to meet them one day with us, you can ask his son for it."**_

"…"

"…"

"… _**Never mind then."**_

"… _**mm, don't be like that, please."**_

"…"

"…"

"… _ **yes, Father…"**_

" _ **Good girl, we'll pick someone good for you later, in the meantime… Did you think up of a name for it?"**_

" _ **Humpty Lock."**_

" _ **Heh, I should've suspected you'd pick that name, after all the treasure the boy now wields is called the Dumpty Key…"**_

 **-Father to Yotsuki Alice, six-years prior.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Life wasn't and isn't fair, you learn this lesson at a very early age, may it be with not getting what you wanted and want, or losing a fight to someone or something. Regardless of it all, life wasn't fair.

I learned that the hard way. But a lot of people did, so no point in pitying myself about it, huh?

"The same goes for you guys."

* * *

" _ **Every child has an egg within their soul.  
**_ _ **This heart's egg can't be seen with one's eye.  
But, as the child grows up it disappears- …This is all incorrect, Amakawa-san."**_

 **-Yotsuki Alice to Amakawa Tsukasa upon his notion of the** _ **"Kokoro no Tamago."**_ **(The Heart's Egg.)**

…

"Man…" The flips of a book could be heard in the dimly lit room. "I really could not draw back then, could I?"

"I don't think that's the point, Alice." She closed the picture book.

"I know, Amakawa-san." Alice said to the violet-eyed, ash blond-haired man sitting across from her. "So, who's the brat that ripped the pages out, hm?"

He closed his eyes and gave a knowing smile that slightly irked the girl. "…That'll stay classified for now."

She scoffed, a look of scorn was printed on her childish face. "Pssh, I worked so hard on coloring and drawing this thing. I did the best my four year old self could. Only to have it destroyed."

He chuckled, but not in humor to her words. "I know."

"I didn't help either that this information was all wrong."

"Yes, yes."

"Yeah, you keep saying that but-

 **Amakawa Tsukasa was the man's name who was in front of the pouty girl, as you would already guess. He's a clairvoyant, and the principal** **of the school called, "Seiyo Academy," they both were currently in his office right now, discussing some issues.**

 **As for the girl, her name is Yotsuki Alice, an old friend of the man ever since she was very young. Despite how she may talk to Tsukasa, she still holds a lot of respect for the fortune-teller as she calls him by his last name and ends it with the term '–san.' Considered respectful.**

-I get it. Now, don't we have other options we could usefully talk about at this moment?" He said in a serious tone, interrupting her from her starting rant. Tsukasa was never one to be serious, but when times call for it he'll get rid of his carefree attitude.

Now was the time.

She nodded and said, "Of course. The reason why I came is because I want to know who wields it now, the Humpty Lock." When saying the name, Alice tried not to shiver visibly. She was always uncomfortable speaking about the 'treasure'.

Hm, more like a curse in disguise. It was long ago, the memory that earned it that calling of a curse.

Tsukasa intertwined his fingers and set his arms on his desk as he plopped his chin on top of his hands. "Seeing the stars, I would've figured you'd have already known who the girl is."

"Yeah, I know- I mean, it's not hard to notice that pink hair in the dreams, but…" She stopped for a moment, trying to figure out the next few sentences she was going to say before continuing. "...Ok, re-start. I know what she looks like, but I don't know her name, alright? I didn't bother learning, but that's not the point now. All I know is that she possesses it, and so forth. That damn 'stray' already got wind of that information, so I guess it's my turn to get into her life as well."

He closed his eyes and paused for a moment, "What is your plan then?"

"See how it plays out," she replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, "what else would I do? I get involved and that stupid Lock comes back to me, but-" She paused for a moment as well. "…not necessarily… I think I might've figured out a trick, that's a conversation for another time though, Amakawa-san."

"So you'll watch from the sidelines, that's it?"

"Hn, yes and no. I'll watch over her and see if she's capable to carry it on in her will, and when I do then I'll be able to fulfill the transfer, but if she screws up in any way, she can consider the Lock gone from her grips." A pause for breath, Tsukasa stopped and paused as well.

"That's the only moment when you'll hear of me butting in. On the other hand, if that damn neko pops up I'll…"

Alice came to a stop when she noticed Tsukasa stopped listening and was pointing his attention elsewhere, specifically behind her. Turning, she saw a beautiful looking boy with blond hair and bright red-pink eyes, seemingly just walking in. He looked like Tsukasa a little, so Alice came to the conclusion this was the man's nephew she's been hearing a lot about.

Hotori Tadase, man… he's just like those 'shouta's' in Shojo manga or Doujinshi.

' _He's like the prince-type.'_ She thought, holding back a smile. A goofy, blond man appeared in her mind hugging an annoyed brunette. _'Oh, Tamaki-senpai…'_

"Ah, Tadase-kun just on time." Tsukasa said to the boy who walked in. "Good morning, how are you today?"

Tadase smiled, "Good thank, how about you?"

"Fine."

"That's good, have you grown taller?" Tsukasa softly pat the boy's head.

"Maybe." Both smiled to one another and Alice couldn't help but feel left out. She always got that feeling around people who are related.

"Well, I'm sure you have." She turned away, the feeling was still there, but it turned hollow.

The years before, it might've made her cry to feel that way, but it was sad to say, it didn't bother her much anymore because she was now used to it. She learned to ignore it and it did get replaced with hollowness, but it didn't mean it still didn't irk her, even just a little.

Feeling's… they were always getting in the way, especially with her mission's. It sucked.

"I'd like you to meet our newest guest, she was the reason why I had you come today so early." Tsukasa motioned to his silent red-head as she stood up, finally re-calling she was there in the first place. When she did so, Alice noticed she was slightly taller than the boy.

So much for that compliment to him, nee Amakawa-san?

Seeing as she had been short and small all her life, she attempted to not give a smug smirk at her 'new acquaintance' in attempts not to seem impolite. _'First impressions were always key, after all'_ , her mother literally drilled that lesson into her head.

She tried to keep back the sad feeling after thinking of her mother. Feelings, she hated them. And instead she held out her hand to the boy who took it.

"Good morning, my name is Y-" she paused for a moment, trying to remember the name she was supposed to give to the people here. She didn't know the reason, but Tsukasa asked her to do so.

She supposed it had something to do with Easter, well, too late now. Heh.

"-S-Shinji… Night, pleased to meet you." She gave a quick glance to Tsukasa to see if she was right, and by the looks of it, she was. Score. She held back another triumph smirk, this time in victory upon remembering her 'name'.

Tadase smiled his princely-smile at Alice's introduction, and replied with, "Good morning to you too. I am Hotori Tadase, 'King's' Chair in the school's club called the 'Guardians'. I'll be the one to guide you around the school today, if you have any questions, please come to me or the other members. Two of them happen to be in your class."

' _Well, he seems nice enough, but maybe that's because I'm new.'_ She thought, giving a polite smile to the boy which he still returned. _'After all, looks can be deceiving, only time will tell though…'_

"Well, now that you've both been acquainted," Tsukasa stood, getting both children's attentions. "I think it's about time to make the announcement."

"Announcement…?" Alice and Tadase questioned.

' _What was he talking about?'_ She asked herself. _'Is there something I missed?'_

Tsukasa nodded as he looked out the window, not facing them. "Yes, Night-chan here will be the newest member in the 'Guardians'."

"Oh! Really?" Tadase asked, mildly surprised but not entirely. They did just add a new member a couple weeks ago after all, but for one to be personally chosen by the King was not heard of, unless you count Tadase, himself. That was when the club had barely formed once more, and that was long ago.

"What card will she be though?" He asked, seeing as Amu took up the last one, the 'Joker'. She could be the second 'Joker', but she won't be an entire individual like the others, she'll be one half of the coin.

"Card?" Alice questioned, she was entirely lost in the whole conversation, Tadase mentioned the 'Guardians' earlier being a club, but what exact club, she was still lost upon. "What are you both talking about?"

"You will be joining the Guardians, Night-chan." Tsukasa repeated, irking the girl.

"Yes, I heard you, but what are exactly the 'Guardian's', _specifically?"_ She exaggerated the specific part, knowing that if she didn't, Amakawa-san would continue to be vague. She didn't want to play a 'guessing game' right now.

"To put it simply, they are the academies protectors. When you meet the others, they'll tell you more, right Tadase-kun?"

"Yes, King." Alice glanced at Tadase weirdly, she couldn't believe he actually called Amakawa-san, 'King', that isn't usually what you would normally call your uncle, even if they are the 'King'… or lie to being so.

"Now that's settled, I have a feeling it's time for that tour now."

"Mm." Tadase agreed as he bowed to his uncle. "We will see later, King. Have a good day."

"You as well, Tadase-kun and Night-chan."

With another bow, this time by Alice, she witnessed Amakawa-san giving her a reassuring wink before leaving his office.

Tsukasa turned and looked out the window once more as he heard his office door close. Stirring his now cold tea, he sighed and asked, "Will she be alright, only the stars will tell us now, though even they… even they are now hazy."

* * *

"I know it's a little strange," Tadase started, "but King said we could take a break from classes today in order for you to meet and fit in with the others. I was wondering why he was deciding so until he said you were our newest member today. That explains why he gave me these the other day."

Showing the box with only a select few cards to Alice, she saw only the King and Queen, Jack, Ace and Joker residing inside. Tadase gave it to her as she just looked at him, blankly.

' _What does he expect me to do with this? Keep it, and for what?'_ He smiled in return to her blankness that now gave the girl a small frown.

' _He really is Amakawa-san's nephew and relative.'_ Both were irritatingly vague-ish.

"It seems you've just created a new chair for our group for new generations to come." Further vagueness. Not bothering to give herself a headache over this, Alice just kept walking as Tadase did so as well.

They were at the Royal Garden's doors before they knew it.

* * *

 ** _"I'm Hinamori Amu, nice to meet you, these are my Chara's."_**

' **It's her, I'd noticed that pink hair from anywhere. It's truly her in the flesh, I've found the person who will (probably) set me free. What a tsundere… Heh, let's see what she can really do, nee?'**

 **-Shinji Night to herself upon meeting the others and specifically, Hinamori Amu plus her chara's.**

…

"I am Shinji Night, the newest member. Pleased to meet you." She bowed to the others in politeness. "Please take care of me."

' _Always be polite, Alice.'_

"No need to be so respectful, Shinji!" Her loud voiced senpai by the name of Souma Kukai, chimed as he ruffled her red-maroon hair.

He did so _violently_ , as she might add for-a-matter-of-fact.

"Besides," he winked at her while jabbing his thumb in her direction. That must send a lot of girls confusing messages. She could hear Yuiki-san and Fujisaki-san snicker in the background.

"Seeing as you have piercing like I do, and more so might I add, as well as that dark look of yours, being polite doesn't really suit you. You should try a more Tsundere-look and character like Hinamori over there!"

"HEY!" Hinamori-san cried out in anger and everyone laughed except Alice. Instead she gave the boy a weird look.

"You're very blunt and honest for your own good, aren't you," she stated as she unhooked his arm from her shoulders. He grinned in response to her words. She sighed, "I'll take that as a yes then, senpai."

It was Kukai's turn to give her a weird look.

"You know can just call me Kukai, right?" He said as he asked her, "Why do you call me, 'senpai'?"

"Cause' you are one," was Alice's simple reply as she fixed her hair back into its ponytail. "Despite how bluntly you told me politeness doesn't fit my character outlook, it's just who I am. I got it drilled into my mainstream long ago, can't really change it now."

She turned around and faced all the others sitting around the table.

"The same goes for all of you," she explained. "Since we don't really know each other, until I get to know all of you better, I won't be able to call you simply by your names as you all hope. Sorry, but it's the truth, it takes a bit for people to trust others, and I'm one of those people. Life just makes you that way." She shrugged freely.

Fujisaki-san was the first to stand, 'she' gave a warming and welcoming smile, "It's alright, Shinji-san. Right, guys?"

"Mm!" They all nodded, understanding smiles forming onto their faces.

' _These Guardians… they're really all nice and welcoming. Strange.'_ Alice thought to herself, slightly in awe. Normally, you don't meet too many kids like this. Kids mainly are cruel after all, in these days at least but none-the-less.

"Now that we've all got the arrival of Shinji-san settled," Tadase lined up some papers. "It's time to her training along."

She tilted her head in confusion as she repeated, "Training…?" Confusedly.

"Of course!" Souma-senpai began ruffling her hair violently once more. And right after she fixed it too, damn. "Hinamori went through the training, and now it's your turn!"

Souma-senpai then suddenly presented a long rope. Where did he even get that from?

"Wait, training for what exactly?" He began to tie around themselves as he grinned at the ponytailed girl. She was too confused to question it.

"To catch X-egg's- Another confused look, "X-egg's…?"

So is that what they call them?

"Mm! Now I hope your fast runner!" Wha…

"Fast runn-!" And they were off.

Yaya began to wave them with a hanker kerchief as both Guardians, new and old suddenly began the younger one's 'training'.

"Good luck!" She chimed cheerful.

"Ah… good luck…" Amu spoke sympathetically as she already knew the pain she endured during her own, 'training'. "…you'll need it, Shinji-chan."

* * *

Her lungs felt on fire, and that wasn't good, but it wasn't for the way reason you'd think it would be for. Long ago when she was younger, she wouldn't have had any trouble running for this long (which in reality was only for two minutes), but when you inhaled to much black smoke at a _very_ young age, it would bound to have life-changing side effects.

That side effect would be Asthma.

You know, that incurably disease which prevents you from running too long or whatever without taking a puff from your inhaler every so hours. Yeah, that disease. She had it, and so far this training with long distance ( _fastly_ , might she add) running without breaks wasn't helping her out so much on that. In fact, it was killing her. So, Souma-senpai do you think we could-

-Could w-we stop for a… m-moment…?" She wheezed, barely being able to get the words out.

"Tired already?" Souma-senpai replied in chuckles, he couldn't tell she was dying here. How dense was he, well… at least he wasn't as dense as Naruto, but might as well be. "Come on, Hinamori even lasted longer than you, and she screamed the whole time! Three more laps, alright?"

Her vision got a little hazy, as she tried to get her next few words out, but struggled. "I-I-I'd lo-ove t-t-to… sen-npai, but-t… I-I d-don't t-t-t-thi…" Her knees buckled, and it was until it felt her weight fall on his back suddenly, Souma-senpai skidded to a stop and looked back at her, and immediately panicked.

"Shinji?!" Alice was on her knees wheezing as Kukai quickly untied the ropes from both of them, and when he did so, she quickly took out her inhaler from her skirt pocket and began pumping the air.

"Y-You have asthma…!" ' _No shit, Sherlock.'_ She could barely even bother to voice her sarcastic comment as she continued to take deep, big breaths and gulps. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Alice sent a look that told Souma-senpai she obviously wasn't in the mood to talk, that shut him up.

"…"

Not knowing what to do as the girl tried to recuperate himself, Souma-senpai began to awkwardly rub her back, trying to… comfort her? She didn't know what he was doing, and was in no personal mood to really interact with the older boy, so they stayed there in silence, letting him do his own thing. At least he was trying to help, that was something to consider.

…..

Until five minutes later after Alice finally managed to stand and breathe a little more normally, that was when she answered his question on why she didn't tell him she had asthma in the first place.

"You never asked," Was her blunt, honest reply, "plus it just never came up, I mean, how was _I_ supposed to suspect we'd go on a sudden run for 'training.'" She put up both her fingers, and moved them up and down to prove her point as she frowned, clearly not happy.

"Yah, well…" he paused for a moment, trying to think of a good reasoning. "…You don't expect us to immediately know that someone has a disease that could kill them…! We are just _kids,_ after all for Pete's sakes!"

They were kids, she sighed. Just this once she would give him that, just once!

With the shrug of her shoulders, Alice turned away from the older boy and said, "Let's go, I'm not sure about you, but I'm done training for today."

"No hard feelings?" Souma-senpai asked from behind her, and her short reply was, "Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes!" Alice couldn't help but give a small smile at that as she felt him clearly grinning that grin of his. _'Maybe this guy isn't so bad.'_

"Next time we'll only do five laps!"

…

"…"

"…"

' _Never mind.'_

* * *

Upon entering the Royal Garden, Fujisaki-san was the first to welcome the two back. It wasn't surprising.

"Welcome back," 'she' said kindly. "How did it go?"

"Fine, thanks for asking." Alice replied as she sat down next to Yuiki-san who was munching on some cookies. They looked good, so Alice took one herself, and as she ate it, she felt Souma-senpai's stare on her.

' _Creepy…'_ She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. _'What's he staring at me for…?'_

"Shinji-san," Alice nearly jumped out of her chair at her 'name' being called. She looked up and saw Hotori-san was looking at her and smiling.

"Y-Yes…?" She stuttered out awkwardly. "What is it?"

"Could you please pass me the stapler?"

"Wha- Oh! Sure, here." Giving her a nod as a 'thank you', Hotori-san returned to his work, as well as the others (with the exception of her and Amu, where did she go anyway?).

' _So, what does this club even do?'_ She looked around, Souma-senpai (who had stopped his unnecessary staring) and Yuiki-san were taking turns stamping stuff, and Hotori-san and Fujisaki-san were doing the same, except signing a huge stack of papers.

' _Should I be doing some work…?'_ Wanting to ask if so, but at the same time not wanting to disturb them from their concentration, Alice grabbed a paper and began to fill it out. Along with another, and another.

The work was fairly easy, so she managed to blast through it. She didn't even know how many papers she filled out until she heard Yuiki-san's voice fill in the silence.

"Wha…!" Everyone turned their heads towards the younger Ace. "N-Night-chii-" _Chii?_ "-how many papers did you fill out?!"

"Eh…?" Looking at her papers, Alice noticed they were a noticeable thick stack. ' _Was I really that into this?'_

"Well," Fujisaki-san giggled, "that takes out school clubs and elective papers from our hairs."

"That's good, personally I didn't want to fill them out." Hotori-san sheepishly admitted. "Thank you, Shinji-san."

Alice briefly blushed, she wasn't used to getting compliments. So, instead she nodded and looked elsewhere, that happened to be the door where Hinamori-san had now returned.

"I scoped out the area," she updated as she walked up and seated next to Fujisaki-san who gave a warm smile to her. "No X-egg's so far."

"That's a relief," Souma-senpai breathed out. "I'm not in the mood to run around again today."

He sent an accusing look towards Alice's who sent back a glare. _'Really?! I wasn't the one who literally dragged someone around out of the blue!'_

Hotori-san scribbled something down in his folder and looked at the pinklette, "Thank you for your information and hard-work for today, Hinamori-san."

The Tsundere blushed, as she meekly replied with, "I-It was nothing, that's my job right…?" Everyone chuckled at her antics, making her redden more.

"Well, now that we're all together once more," Fujisaki-san spoke as she presented some tea and sweets. "How about a break?"

* * *

"They're really nice, by the sounds of it, right Mato?" A soft-spoken chara said to another.

"Yeah, they do… but for how long?" The other, raspy-speaking one questioned.

"I think I'll give them a chance." The creator of them both admitted. "I don't what I should feel towards them however, not until Easter officially gives me my orders."

"That's also to consider, both of you. How would they respond about you working for the enemy? I don't think you should get close, Alice."

The red-head touched the glass that separated her chara's and herself. She gave a sigh, and was going to respond towards the raspy-speaking one's statement when the door behind her suddenly opened.

"Time's up, say your goodbyes and get out. Go meet up with the director." The guard commanded her as he waited for her to do so.

She didn't want to leave, but her orders told her so.

"I swear they're cutting our time shorter and shorter each day you visit here. Tch, cheating-arses!" Alice gave a scolding-look to her chara.

"Language Mato." Mato simply looked away at her response to her foul mouth.

"Hurry it up!" Alice tried to keep in her annoyed sigh.

Instead, she looked at her other chara and asked her one thing, "Keep Mato in check Rin, don't let her speak that way to the guards. I don't want a repeat of last time."

Rin nodded, "Will do."

"Are you getting out of there or not!? Or do we have t- I'm going!" She half-yelled.

As Alice walked out of the area where her chara's, Rin and Mato were contained, the moment she halfway stepped out the door she heard a faint, "Please be safe." From both, and left.

"I will."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" **So they finally caught you… Did that bitch do what she always wanted, and reliefly rant you out?"**

"… **that's none of your business."**

" **We both know it is, welcome 'Stray Crow.'"**

 **-Tsukiyomi Ikuto to Yotsuki Alice, a week prior to the Arrival.**

 **…**

* * *

 **A/N:** **I think I've figured out this shipping thing… I'll do it the way I've decided long ago: two or three separate endings with the pairings. Thanks for reading.**


	2. 1st Day

**Disclaimer-**

 **The following is a fanfic-based story parody,** _ **Shugo Chara!**_ **Is property of** _ **Peach-Pit**_ **,** _ **Nakayoshi**_ **, and** _ **Kodansha.**_ **Also, I own the image so please do not steal. Thank you.**

 **Please support the official release.**

…

 **P.S- The series follows the mainly the manga, but a little of the anime. It all depends, however.**

 **P.P.S- This is the revised vision of this story! Your welcome to read the last one, but I won't (obviously) continue it.**

* * *

 **A/N:** **Thanks for all the follows, and I know it's a little late but…:**

 **NekoFace- Thank you, like many others for sticking with this story and yes, since Alice is showing more emotion, her and many others relationships will change. For good or for worst, we'll have soon enough to find out.**

 **Kitsuna-lover- It is pretty weird writing her all nice-like, though she'll still be mean, even if it's indirect or direct but in a way no one will really notice.**

 **I want Kairi to show up already, anybody else?**

 **F.Y.I- The beginning may be the same, but I redid this chapter for reasons down below. Just skip the first section if you want, second is new stuff.**

 **ONWARD.**

* * *

Quote of the day:

" _The Burger of the day is: The Child Molester, it comes with Candy. Get it? …It was for a limited time only, until you came back upstairs."_ – Louise Belcher ( _Bob's Burgers_ )

* * *

 _ **Recommendation-**_

 **Listen to** _ **'Kokoronashi by Majiko'**_ **when reading "** **The Concerns of Souma-senpai" and 'Alice's Theme' when "The Blind 'Savior'" parts show up,** **you don't have to, but it's just a suggestion.**

 **-Alice's theme is:** _ **"Heart of the Marionette"**_ **Piano cover by Lizz.**

" **You have been given your orders, find out everyone's weakness and report back to me. It shouldn't be hard, they are mere children like yourself."**

 **-The Director to Yotsuki Alice, post-The Arrival.**

 **Second day, first beginning.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"This is our newest student, please treat her with care. Will you introduce yourself, Shinji-san." That was more of a commandment then question. The look in his eyes said it all.

' _Just because you, Nikaidou-san are my superior in Easter, doesn't mean you can boss me around.'_ Alice thought irritably, though she didn't verbally speak it, she just simply nodded at her 'sensei', and quickly wrote her 'name' on the board.

"Pleased to meet you all, my name is Shinji Night. I will be your newest companion and student til the end of this year's term. I hope you will all take care of me." She bowed politely.

"Thank you, Shinji-san!" Nikaidou-san stated chipperly (maybe a lot so), as he began to check his charts and re-direct Alice to her temporary desk til next year. "Um… Ito-san?"

"Yes?" Ito-san, a boy with dark brown hair in the mid-back right corner of the room, answered.

"Please raise your hand," he did so, "Thank you, Shinji-san, you will be sitting right in front of Ito-san."

Nodding, Alice walked to her seat in the back. She could feel everyone's gazes burning holes into her back as she tried to ignore them, when she sat down, she took out her stuff and waited for class to resume once more.

When it (finally) did, she sighed, murmuring, "Fuck being the new kid…" Before beginning to doodle in her notebook.

 **A Good Break**

…

"Ah…" Hinamori-san groaned. "…Why does English have to be so hard?!"

It was break time now, what a relief.

"That's what Americans say about our language, and many others." Alice commented as she mentally noted Hinamori-san was bad at English, and so were many others but the Director didn't tell her it had to be good info. "You'll learn quickly, soon enough."

"Easy for you to say…" She grumbled. "You already know English!"

"And so does Fujisaki-san," Alice replied with indifference. "You won't win in this battle."

"Moh!" Hinamori-san complained, and Alice smirked. The purplette giggled at this.

"Seems like you two are already the best of friends." Fujisaki-san stated as she quietly watched their antics and interactions. In reply to 'her' words, Hinamori-san slightly blushed and gaped at this, while Alice shrugged carelessly.

"N-No we're not!" The pinklette looked away as she tried to regain her Cool' n Spicy persona. Though the red-head saw otherwise.

"Returning back to the Tsundere you are, I see? All we need to do is have Hotori-san to show up and you'll reach high levels of your façade." If you thought the pinklette was red before, that is an understatement.

"Moh, it seems you finally caught her, Shinji-san!" Fujisaki-san laughed along with Alice, knowing the purplette was right. Her face was redder then a tomato.

' _Another good piece of info, Hinamori-san likes Hotori-san.'_ Alice couldn't help but slightly shake her head. _'She makes it so obvious.'_

"Y-You guys are mean!" She cried out in an accusing way, "I won't speak to you both anymore!" Hinamori-san didn't mean it, however.

"Yeah, yeah." Alice replied carelessly. "Whatever you say. Anyway, what are we doing after school today, Fujisaki-san?"

The 'girl' gave a thoughtful look and suspicious smile. "You'll see."

"Hm?" Alice gave her a weird look. _'What could that mean?'_

It was then that the bell rang, and Nikaidou-san rolled in. Everyone laughed at this, but Alice simply rolled her eyes.

' _What a stupid alter-ego, but I have to admit…'_ She glanced at Hinamori-san who was laughing as well as Fujisaki-san who simply giggled. _'… It's the perfect disguise…'_

"Now… today we will be discussing-!"

* * *

' **After years of being alone, it's strange to be asked 'how did school go?' It's a nice feeling. But should I really be glad about this?'**

"… **No, I should not…"**

 **-Yotsuki Alice, post- A Good Break.**

 **The Concerns of Souma-senpai**

…

"So, Shinji-san, how did your first day of school go?" Hotori-san asked her. He really did look like a younger Amakawa-san.

"It went well, thank you." He smiled and nodded, Alice felt strange.

"Well, everyone," they all perked up by his words. "Let's get started."

…

"Moh… Why is there always so much work?!" Yuiki-san complained, and Souma-senpai agreed with her.

"Cause aren't we a council for students," Alice replied. "With the students and for the students, besides the work isn't that much."

Yuiki-san pouted towards her, "Easy for you to say!" ' _Deja-vu much?'_ "You always blast through it."

"As do Fujisaki-san and Hotori-san." Alice replied with indifference as she did so the same with Hinamori-san.

And re-calling the same thing from earlier, the pinklette herself stated, "Just give up Yaya, this fight you won't win." Her tone was knowing, as she experienced it herself.

Heeding her tone of voice and reason, the younger Ace quieted down and ate her treats silently. Alice didn't hold back her triumph smirk which was noticed by all. She won once again.

"Since everyone looks a little worn out, how about we stop for today?" Hotori-san suggested, and everyone nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll prepare the tea today."

"Yay!"

…

"Eh- A pop public recording show?!"

"Yup! I sent out an entry card!" Yuiki-san replied as Hinamori-san and Fujisaki-san began to talk about the topic.

Yuiki-san managed to win some tickets, and were inviting the other female guardians to go, earlier the ace invited her, but Alice promptly refused. Easter had something planned that night, and Nikaidou-san was assigned to go with the girls while she and Ikuto were stuck with the dirty work.

Ugh.

"Hmph- What's up with them?" Souma-senpai asked as he returned back to Hotori-san's and Alice. "Right, you guys?"

While Alice shrugged in shoulders in response and nibbled on her cookie, Hotori-san mind was obviously somewhere else. It was made even more evident, when his only response was a blush and a meek agreement.

Following where his gaze trailing too, she held back a shit-eating grin when she witnessed where his eyes had landed upon. In front of them, Hinamori-san and Fujisaki-san were talking, and laughing.

It was somewhat sweet if she were to be honest, Hotori-san watching and going gaga over the pinklette.

"Hey… what are you so dazed over?"

…

"Hey, Shinji!" _'Just keep walking, Alice… just keep walking, g-_

Alice felt herself falling back slightly, and her red-head began to be ruffled with so much force she wanted to scream, but she didn't. Tolerating the pain, she looked up at the older boy in dismay. She always had this look when he was around, he was to… energetic and ruff for her tastes, but she put up with in it.

"May I help you, Souma-senpai?" He gave her a weird look, he still wasn't used to her calling him that- or anyone by a matter-of-fact. Shinji was the first one to refer to him by honorifics, he hoped she'd trust him in time to drop them. Again, because they felt weird.

He then remembered what he caught her for.

"Yeah," his face turned slightly serious, Alice felt it didn't suit him, it made him look funny. She held back a laugh. "Do you know what's up with Hotori? He seemed strange today, he was all blushy. Actually, now that I think about it, he's been a lot like that lately."

' _Ah, that…'_ "Yeah, it's simple." She answered, Souma-senpai gave her a look to go further in detail about the situation. Maybe she was starting to adapt one Amakawa-san's habits. "Hotori-san has a crush on Hinamori-san. Or at least is developing one, he's in the early stages, being a complete creeper and watching her. He'll be fine."

"Are you sure that's it?" He still didn't look convinced.

"I'm guessing, I mean it isn't that strange… Hotori-san is a growing boy after all, we're all growing children. So, it isn't that strange he having crushes already." She shrugged carelessly, she's been doing that a lot lately. Alice gave him a side glance. "Ask him if you aren't so sure yourself?"

A grin came across his face, he was always smiling. She found this somewhat admirable, she herself couldn't last so long, smiling like that. Her cheeks would hurt after a while. Plus, smiling was stupid when you've got no reason to do it.

"Nah, if you say it's like that, then I'm sure it is. Besides, if Hotori wants me to know, he'll tell me. I just wanted to make sure, he has more problems in his life than he lets on, so I just wanted to look out for him, you know?"

Alice stared at him for a moment, before letting a reply out. "You two really are best friends, aren't you?"

"Mm! Ever since we became the first Guardians to enter! We boys have got to stick together, or else we'll be taken over by you girls!" Souma-senpai could swear he saw a ghost of a smile on the younger girl's lips.

"All right." Alice fixed her ponytail as they turned silent, the air comfortable between the both. It was a nice sunny day today, the air was neither cold nor warm, just in the middle. Not a single cloud was in the sky, and the campus was quiet, except for an occasional rift of chatter coming from students who were on clearing duty for the day.

Yes, it was a nice atmosphere.

As he kept to his own thoughts, Alice's voice broke through them as she looked at the older boy. He looked at her, she was done with her hair now. He could see a peak of her pierced ears behind her red bangs.

"While we're here talking Souma-senpai," she spoke up. "Do you mind me asking you a favor?"

He gave her a confused look, she never asked anything of him. "What is it?"

She pointed at the hair she just fixed. "Quit ruffling my hair, it hurts my head because you're too rough. I don't mind you doing so, just lighten up, alright?" Getting an understanding where she was getting at and asking, he nodded.

That wasn't the first he got a complaint for his attempt at compassion, many knew he meant good, but being an energetic and sometimes dense boy, he doesn't realize the effects of his shared feeling's cause.

"Sure." Nodding in return, Alice began to walk away, not seeing a point in sticking around. She was burning daylight after all, plus she needed to visit her chara's and get ready for later.

Hearing steps behind her, she suspected Souma-senpai going off to soccer practice or something, when the foot step noises ran towards behind her, and he suddenly came into step with her. Sighing, Alice glanced at him as he just kept his eyes ahead.

Won't he leave her alone? Not wanting to get into another conversation with the Jack though, she let him do whatever he wanted. But that still didn't mean she didn't keep a good amount of space between them, she swear she saw him give a cocky smirk.

Besides, it wasn't like he was going to walk her home, just to the gate they'd split up. What was the harm?

How wrong she was, as always…

* * *

" **Do you… do you like us Guardians?"**

 **-Souma Kukai to Shinji Night, post- The Concerns of Souma-senpai.**

 **The walk home with Kukai Souma-senpai**

…

"Why are you still walking with me?" Alice asked, not even bothering to glance at her senpai next to her.

"Cause' I want to walk you home."

"…I don't need a babysitter."

"I never said I was."

"Might as well be one."

"…"

"…" They were oddly still in a comfortable silence, and atmosphere. "How'd your first day go?"

Alice was mildly surprised by that question, "It went well." Hotori-san asked her that earlier as well, so did that strange feeling, it came back. But it was a little different.

"Did Nikaidou-sensei freak you out, I heard he was a weird teacher."

She closed her eyes, imagining the Nikaidou-san they didn't truly know. An evil, bitter adult with a broken dream. "He may be weird, but he's a good teacher. Looks and rumors can be deceiving."

Souma-senpai gave her a strange look before smiling, "You look through and past a lot in a person, don't you? You try to see all the goodness in their hearts."

She reopened her eyes, not looking or glancing towards him. Her style wasn't that deep, it was sad to admit it. "No, it's just being perspective. Everyone's different then they truly seem, even you and I."

Souma-senpai didn't have a look, or response to her answer.

Good.

…

"I'm the youngest of five brothers."

"Hm, I never sought you to be the youngest."

"Did you expect me to be an only child?"

"No, I just never really seen you as a youngest like me." Alice couldn't help but give the guy a knowing look, call it underling's intuition and pity. "You seem more like the big brother type." Judging with how he acted with the others, and herself.

He chuckled. "Well, you seem like the older-type as well. You always seem to give off a mature vibe." It was Alice's turn to give him a weird look. She never was once called mature, nor considered herself to be. Maybe Souma-senpai was crazier than she thought.

"So," he grinned. "How many siblings do you have?"

She stopped for a moment, Alice couldn't help but give a dark look. Siblings were a touchy subject for her, Souma-senpai didn't know the full story (or needed to know at all), but they were. She shook her head slightly as she went back into step with him, he didn't seem to notice her stop.

"I have two," she responded bitterly and again, he failed to notice her tone. He just kept smiling, his grin unwavering. He really was a blind and inside-the-box kind boy, or was that just what he wanted her to think?

…Maybe-

' _-No, now isn't the time to get paranoid. He isn't that smart.'_ She told herself, trying to get rid of all her conspicuous feelings. "The oldest one's a boy, the other a girl. Both are older than me, and they live far away." She replied honestly, she saw no reason to lie after all, who he was going to tell other than the 'Guardians'?

"I see…" was his simple answer. Did he expect her to say more? About what they did with one another, why she isn't living with them?

That was the final topic at hand before Alice noticed that they were at a perfect stopping point. Falling behind in her steps, Souma-senpai did the same as he noticed her come to a stop. He gave her a questioning look.

"Why did we stop?" He asked her, Alice bowed to him."…eh?"

"This is as far as you'll go. I'll walk the rest of the way on my own." She explained to him as she stood up straight up once more. "Sorry for troubling you."

"…" Giving her a look, he asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you the rest of the way?"

' _Why is he so insist?'_ "Mm. I'm sure. I'll see you tomorrow, have a good afternoon." Without waiting a second for a reply, Alice quickly walked away from the Jack, and his insistence on walking her home.

Easter has cameras everywhere, he wouldn't have been safe walking her the rest of the way.

* * *

" **I know who you are, 'Stray Crow'. I've known about you even before we've met. You've always been on Ikuto's mind, even back then, and for that… I hate you."**

 **-Hoshina Utau, post-The walk home with Kukai Souma.**

 **A Singer's woes, and the Puppeteer's game.**

…

"A depressed face? Utau…" Sanjo-san stated to the blond singer. She had a frown upon her beautiful features. Alice and Ikuto watched her. They couldn't say anything, if they did they'd get in trouble.

"Even though you're about to go out there…" Sanjo-san paused. Utau took this time to speak up.

"…Sanjo-san," she said, her expression turned into one of grimace. It didn't suit her. "I'm sure it's necessary to look for the Embryo's… but… That's not the reason I wanted to sing."

"So what?" Sanjo-san replied passively, it was cruel. But so were all the adults in this company. "Don't you have a contract with Easter?"

' _No fighting back there…'_ Alice thought asSanjo-san motioned towards all three of the unfortunate one's in the room.

"You, Ikuto and the 'Stray Crow' are like cadged birds…" She stayed calm at her title, she didn't care at this point. "-Or more like butterfly? Tsk, tsk."

"Honesty," Alice grew alarmed when Sanjo-san looked her way as she moved towards her slowly. As if not to scare her off. "If it's going to be like this we should just scout another girl. Maybe-" she grabbed Alice and pulled her upward.

-Alice right here, she's quite a talented singer, one to even rival your voice, Utau." The blond gave Alice a dark look from her reflection in the mirror. "Aren't you…?"

Seeing Utau's face, she pulled away roughly from Sanjo-san. The woman already had her fun, so she let Alice do so. She then continued her threats with, "Or we could get another girl, maybe with three guardian egg's… What was her name?"

She looked at Alice once more, giving her a look to answer or else. So, she did.

"…Hinamori Amu-san." That was the last straw for Utau, Alice flinched as she suddenly slammed her hands on the desk and glared at the girl in front of her. What did she have against her? They'd never even met until today…!

"I won't lose to you," she boldly stated her way before heading towards the door that led her to the stage. "Or to that girl. Believe it."

Sanjo-san smiled deviously at her outcome, "Hm, good girl. Now it's your turn, 'Stray Crow.'"

Taking out Mato's taped up egg, Sanjo-san threw it to Alice as the raven-like chara popped out and blandly said, "Let's get this over with."

Alice couldn't have agreed anymore.

She just wanted to get this night over with, with Utau's new discovered hatred towards her thanks to Sanjo-san, it was enough to make anyone tired.

"Watashino Kokoro," Alice sighed, "My heart: Unlock…!"

* * *

" **No doubt we'll come across Hinamori-san, let's just remain neutral… and she won't suspect a thing."**

 **-Yotsuki Alice to Mato, post- A Singer's woes, and the Puppeteer's game.**

 **Final: The Blind 'Savior'.**

…

"Chara Nari: Veritiero Savior!" She could sense everything in the room, to bad she couldn't see anything. At this point however, would she like to see Sanjo-san's face, especially Ikuto's?

No, the answer to no.

"Hm… what are interesting transformation…" The manager remarked, Alice didn't need to sense the woman in order to know she was staring back at her. "Now let's see who'll win… The 'Stray Crow' or 'Stray Cat'?"

"…We all know the outcome of that one." Ikuto stated as Alice remained silent.

…

Hinamori-san stood, just staring at the X-egg in front of her. The X-character peeked out, and the moment it saw her staring back at it, it grinned and flew up into the air. She watched it as it flew up, and screamed when it came down, she covered herself, preparing for the attack but it never did come.

Opening her eyes, Hinamori-san saw… it was Ikuto! She saw him as he finished his character transformation.

Looking up in awe, she asked, "…Did you come to save me?"

As he held the egg towards his face, he turned and was to answer when another voice came and a figure appeared out of the shadows.

"No, he didn't. This stray isn't that generous… You know," Hinamori-san turned her head towards the… person. She couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl, what she was certain was however, was that they were also in transformation mode.

Just like Ikuto.

Their eyes were bandaged, that was the first thing she noticed of them. Hinamori-san wondered if they could see. But she herself, under these circumstances, wasn't keen on asking it them so that was out.

They had pale skin, and dark navy blue really short, boyish hair. They wore a light blue colored tarp over their head which stayed in place with this odd-looking, golden pin that was circular and resembled that of a locket. Around the neck was an ocean-colored light blue scarf and wrapped around the chest area was a red bandeau, and covering that was a revealing brown poncho. Wrapped around their waist was also a black belt holding up their baggy brown pants, and they had no shoes on, it was only bandages wrapped around.

Didn't the ground below hurt their feet?

"…When something is coming towards you to hurt you, the best thing is to move, not just stay there." Even the voice was neutral, emotionless and cold. "You idiot."

The pinklette would be lying if she said she wasn't offended by the stranger calling her an idiot. "Hey!" She protested, making the said-genderless person's ears twitch. "Don't call me an idiot, what would you have done in my place?!"

"I don't know," Alice replied, not even facing her. "…because I wouldn't be in that situation in the first place. You wouldn't be caught dead seeing me fear an X-egg, like you. Stupid."

Their response irked Hinamori-san even more. She was just about to retort when a certain neko beat her to it.

"Enough." Ikuto erupted, he looked at the person. He held a look in his eyes Hinamori-san couldn't make out. "Now isn't the time…"

"Y-You!" Alice ignored Hinamori-san as she faced Ikuto. She sensed him staring at her, and she raised her hand towards him, or at least attempted to. Thankfully, she was spot on, her palm was upwards.

"Hand it over." Alice demanded him.

"It's my orders are to destroy it."

The pinklette gasped, "Destroy it, why…?!" She went deaf upon their ears once more.

"And my orders are to bring it back. Hand it over."

" _Make sure to bring it back, I'll need it for my… experiment."_

This time it wasn't a demand, more of a command. It reminded her of Nikaidou-san's tone with her from earlier. Ikuto stayed quiet for a moment, then all she heard was a crack.

He had broken the egg. Alice's arm dropped down to her side, so much for that. Nikaidou-san was going to kill her later for not doing being able to do what he commanded from her.

Standing in silence for a couple of moments, she sighed.

'… _He shattered it, no point in staying here any longer.'_ Staying true to her thoughts, Alice was beginning to walk away when Hinamori-san's voice was suddenly heard.

"The egg has shattered…!" She panicked, and Alice didn't need to see in order to tell she was trying to grab the broken egg's pieces and repair it. "There was a character in there… Why…?"

Her voice faded out as a new one, not very far away was heard. It was an elderly woman speaking, Alice concluded, her ears and feet twitching in the direction she was heard from. It seems she was one of the few people who exited out of the arena in a slow pace.

"Please smile already." She pleaded to someone next to her. Hinamori-san gasped behind them.

"I know now, there's no way I can be a singer. I guess it was just a childish dream. I've faced reality… so… That's an advantage." Whoever responded, their voice hinted that they were all drained out of life. The response was sad, and depressing.

' _That's the broken egg's owner, I see…'_ He had a cold, sad atmosphere around him. She didn't need to see it to believe it.

"We're starting to break them down." Ikuto said, who's we? "There are a lot of unwanted and broken eggs. It seems like everyone is walking by with the tired face of an adult. They've thrown away their 'wanted personalities.'"

He de-transformed as Yoru cheered, not taking at all notice to Hinamori-san who didn't sit well with Ikuto's words.

"No… This is…" Alice heard desperation in her voice, disbelief. It sounded as if the pinklette were to cry. She paused for a moment, her aura was filled in sadness before she clenched the ground beneath her. Alice suddenly sensed a burning aura with fierce hatred-ness passion coming from her.

The atmosphere grew tense, they truly seemed like enemies now.

Hinamori-san took a deep breath, and with a shaky voice she declared, "…After it all, I hate you!" She turned to Alice, her voice was now bolder. "I hate both of you! I hate your very will!"

Ikuto didn't say anything, his back was turned from the pinklette. Alice wondered if he perhaps was affected by her words. How cute…

' _He seems to have gained a crush on her…'_ While he remained to stay silent, and was obvious to keep doing so, Alice took her turn to speak up.

"Hates a strong word, but since you declared it so boldly to us." She turned the way where she heard Hinamori-san's voice come from. "What will you do about it?"

The question took her off guard. What would she do? The pinklette stared at the person, not knowing what to say. Ikuto also looked at Alice, he sniffed the air and quickly grabbed her wrist.

"…Her friends are coming, let's go…" Ikuto murmured to her. Nodding, she said one last thing to the girl next to her.

"Prove yourself against us," Alice told her. "Show me what you plan to do, next time…"

Hinamori-san then watched them as they left, and she let them leave. The whole entire way before they disappeared, all she could think about was that person's words. She even continued to think about them when Fujisaki and Yuiki-san walked up to her, asking if she was ok.

"Yeah," she smiled a fake smile. "I'm fine."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" **I don't care what you do with her, but be aware… Easter is on their arses, and since we** _ **both**_ **belong to the company, I don't want that to come and bite me in the arse as well. Fall for her all you want, but again, be aware Ikuto, they can hurt her and you at any moment."**

 **-Yotsuki Alice to Tsukiyomi Ikuto, post- The Blind 'Savior'.**

* * *

 **A/N:** **I changed the chapter because I noticed in the manga this comes before the Yaya's ballet thing… so yeah. There was some Kukai and Night time in here for some of you folks, I want to make equal time as well with Ikuto so that's to also expect in the future. Same with Kairi, man I can't wait til he shows up, I love writing about him and Alice together. Thanks for reading.**

 **Up next: Senpai's Grandfather!**

 **(Don't) notice me senpai…! Yandere Simulator, anyone?**


	3. Marionette

**A/N: Mou... I seemed to be revising everything these day's. Heh.**

 **Anyway, couple things:**

 **\- I changed the name, I felt with a revision, I needed to change the name. I find the meaning behind it kind of ironic, in Alice's case.**

 **It's kind of like a foreshadowing moment, you know?**

 **\- I changed this chapter because I felt it made no sense, and it was sloppily written.**

 **\- That's it.**

 **...**

 **WARNING- Contains depressing moments, but that's just my interpretation as I wrote this. I found it kind of depressing, but it's needed. I doubt some of you will though, find it that way.**

 **I won't say more, cause I'll spoil it, but just a heads up.**

* * *

 **After the fact- "The Blind Savior."**

.

.

.

"You're useless…! _Useless!"_ He shrieked as all the papers flew from his messy desk, and scattered upon the floor. A coffee mug filled with the cold, brown liquid broke when meeting the ground, and the noise rung throughout the laboratory. The papers grew wet and unreadable, but the man didn't care. He simply screamed once more and flung more breakable things around the room.

The cold, dark lab around was getting unrecognizable. It was usually messy, but not like this. Nikiadou-san never grew this frustrated, when he did he'd throw a couple of things around, that was it though. Tonight, however, he was beyond unstable.

It was all because of her, her slightly narrow eyes watched from afar.

The redhead knew she would surely be blamed later for the mess, but as Alice tremulously watched the craze-filled man in front of her have a tantrum, she surely knew that certainly wasn't the least of her problems now.

Nikaidou-san was never pleasant, angry. No one, especially in Easter, were towards her, to be exact.

Anger makes you do many unimaginable things. Red fills your eyes and you go mad like a bull, just wanting to get rid of that stupid bright flag, right in front of you. It keeps escaping though, flying away above your head as it mocks you. Then you get angrier.

Anger is an ugly emotion, but it's well needed.

It liberates you, makes you feel more refreshed than you ever could be after all the bullshit is gone.

Yet, that isn't the case for everyone. It could have more drastic effects, seeing red makes you do stupid shit. It could hurt someone you hold dearly, make you do actions you regret.

Everyone is human, and they make mistakes. They have many emotions, and do many things.

Yet…

" _You're useless!"_ Alice grinded her teeth as Nikaidou-san grabbed her by her thin, pale arm and yanked her towards him. Her skin turned red where his grasp was tightly clamped upon, and Alice grinded her teeth more in pain. She wanted to yelp, and whimper but she didn't.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?!" She stayed still and quiet. It was the best way to get through with Nikaidou-san's anger. With anyone working at Easter's, anger.

Just act like a marionette, quiet and still.

" _Didn't you?!"_ She refused to look at him as he towered over her, using his adult voice and height to his advantage. Alice felt very small, as she always did around adults.

She hated adults.

"You did this to _spite_ me…! To watch _me fail!"_ Nikaidou-san stood up straighter, he lifted the arm that had his hand latched onto Alice's, upwards quickly. She was lifted from the ground, into the air and Alice was surprised with the suddenness, that her arm wasn't popped out of its socket.

"Or…?" They face to face once more, and Alice attempted not to struggle or cry at the pain of staying upwards in the air, only by her arm. "Was it because of _him…?!"_

Alice would've scoffed, but she knew it'd only come out as a whimper. _'It'd already be dead if that were the reason why. He's protected enough… Ikuto doesn't need more.'_

He smirked, "That Black Cat. Your little childhood friend. It was because of him, _wasn't it?"_

Nikaidou-san had a crazy-filled look in his eye, and he smiled a cocky smile that made him seem as if he won over her, instead of vice-versa. That he found out her biggest, _darkest_ "secret."

' _What an idiot…'_ Alice said nothing as Nikaidou-san then continued smugly.

"I'm not in awe, or shocked by this though _, dear Alice~"_ She felt a shiver go down her spine as he said her name, and Alice gave an open look of disgust. She couldn't help it, and her hatred for the man grew some more.

What Nikaidou-san was about to say, would then be the end of it all for Alice.

"We both know why you did it." Alice simply looked at him, _'what is he getting at…?'_ "You and the Black Cat, have a _history_ , do you not?"

Her eyes widen. Everyone at Easter both knew about the redhead's and blunette's past, but… something didn't feel right. And it wasn't just her now numb arm that was unnerving her.

" _Dear Alice~_ what a growing girl you are. At that rip age, now huh? Almost ten-years old, almost a teen, starting to develop feelings for other _certain people…"_ Alice now began to struggle as Nikaidou-san brought her face to face with himself, once more.

And she hated every second about it. She hated everything about him, and his stupid fucking words. As well as that smirk! He better stop now.

' _He_ better not _say anything else…!'_ She was just about to break. She was going to break. Alice was about ready to break _him!_

"…don't say it…!" She gasped out in pain, and Nikaidou-san let out an evil roar in response to her words. He tightened his grasp, and Alice believed her arm to be numb until proven now to be wrong,

She yelped.

"We _all know it,_ _ **we all see it!"**_ He cackled. " _You,_ dear Alice, have _feelings_ for that _Black C-_

That was the last straw for her, Alice immediately silenced the man by spitting on his face.

…

Nikaidou-san obviously didn't take her defiance so well.

* * *

"You _stupid, fucking arrogant girl!_ " He threw her, yes _threw her._ He wasn't weak, or clumsy by doing so, _at all._

Nikaidou-san threw Alice away from him, as he cried out in rage and anger. He kept yelling as he wiped his face, even after he tossed her, and she landed into a huge pile of metal objects. Not even aware of what cushioned her fall until the pain came rushing in all at once.

Everything… _everything…_ just _cried out…!_

If Alice thought her arm hurt, she didn't know real pain until now that she fell into the pile of Nikaidou's broken dreams. His robots, his sharp, rectangular robots. At this, Alice allowed herself scream out in agony, and let a few single tears slip from her eyes.

She could feel cuts, and open wounds on her back as it slowly seeped through her white, loose T-shirt. She throbbed and bruises soon began to form with the colors, purple, blue, and green. They were ugly colors that Alice didn't wish to see, but she knew she would later have to in order to heal herself.

Before getting ahead of herself however on how to even get home, Alice had to get up from the pile of worthless junk.

Her wonderment was soon answered, but not in the way she wanted.

Nikaidou-san turned oddly quiet, throughout her screams and whimpers of pain. Alice knew better though, that he didn't turn silent from what his actions caused… No, it was far from that. She did land on his _robots,_ after all.

Having her cries come to a halt, the lab was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop when Nikaidou-san roared once more, and Alice felt of surge of pain come up, as well as more whimpers and tears.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE…?!" He pushed her roughly away from the pile, and rolled onto the floor.

Her blood stained, and she couldn't do a thing as she laid there.

Trying to grab her back, trying to do anything- _something_ , to stop her pain, Alice couldn't as she witnessed Nikaidou-san looking sadly and solemnly at his now more destroyed robots. She was bleeding, hurt and injured by his actions- yet, he felt more concerned over… robots?

Non-animate objects…?

A representation of his broken, worthless dream.

Nikaidou-san became a bitter adult because of this, for the robots, his broken egg and future wishes. He was pitying the robots, now with their parts scattered onto the cold floor Alice was laying upon, bleeding. He was pitying himself as she was experiencing more excruciating pain then he could ever feel in his lifetime, than what she shouldn't, as a kid _her_ age.

Alice lay limp on the ground, not moving as she silently watched. Watched like a marionette, silent and still as "master" soon cried in pity over his other toy's. His treasures, most prized possessions.

* * *

Alice's expression was blank, her eye's even blanker. The floor was cold, the room was dark, and she was bleeding. Staining the floor with some of her blood, as well as a couple of papers underneath her.

The room was a mess, and she was a mess… everything was a mess.

Heh. What was she to do?

What should she do?

What _could_ she do?

What was Alice to do? Get up, limp away and expect everything to be better?

…

Her injuries would _heal_ , the wounds would be _sealed_ and the bruises _y_ … b u t-

-There would be _s._

 _Scars everywhere on her back._ The part she was laying upon.

 _Scars…_ The scars she would carry with her, _**every single day**_ of her life until **death**. They would be there, _every single step of the way._

 _People… people would see them, and ask questions._ Humans were made to see, and ask questions.

… _How would she answer?_

Changing in front of the others, they would ask her how she got them.

What would she say?

If she went swimming, they would ask her how she got them.

What should she say?

If she ever got to experience love, _they_ would _ask her how she got them…_

 **What** _ **could**_ **she say…?**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **…**

Alice would grow _limp._

Alice would stay _still._

Alice wouldn't say a thing, stay _quiet…_

…She would remember then, what happened _today._

Alice would just watch them, with a blank face, and even blanker eye's…

 ** _…_**

 _ **She would become a marionette. They don't do a thing, as master focuses on his other toys.**_

* * *

 **A/N: I finally edited the chapter this time. It's still probably not the best, but it's readable. So, that's good enough for me.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review. I do read them, and I enjoy them a lot, even if it's just hate.**

 **Ja nei!**


	4. His Awareness

**A/N: I think I made a bold choice here**

 **Tell me what you think.**

 **ONWARDS.**

 **(WARNING- Lots of KNIGHT (Kukai x Night/Alice moments in this).**

* * *

 **Chapter 4- Senpai's awareness**

 **...**

Easter doesn't take breaks, they work day in, and day out. Sometimes, they'll make exceptions for their workers…

 _Workers._

A mindless marionette like herself, didn't get breaks. Didn't get the luxury of a day off, a sick day when she could barely move… Yotsuki Alice, a wooden dress up doll. She followed only "Master's" orders, and when they wanted her to keep going, to not return back to her old self…

She needed to follow the orders and movements that her strings commanded.

XXXXXXXXX

Laying on the ground, Alice continued to watch Nikaidou-san. He had forgotten about her, about her presence.

You already knew that though, didn't you?

…

* * *

The ground underneath her back, felt mushy and warm. Unlike the cold, airy laboratory she was in. She knew her shirt was soaked in blood, the wounds still stung as the bleed out in pain, begging to be healed, but that wouldn't happen any time soon.

Alice felt uncomfortable, she wanted to get up and clean up with a good shower. To patch herself up. She wanted to do this- she _needed_ too.

XXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, she hasn't gotten up off of the ground. She couldn't. Her body and her mind didn't let her. They refused, Alice couldn't move and her body felt like a ton of bricks whenever she tried. In comparison from earlier, however, her breathing has calmed down a bit. Her heart as well, it seemed to be beating at a normal rate. Which was good…

Out of sheer coincidence though, she was fine, yet at the same time, not.

Alice just found out what a huge chunk of her life meant to the adults of Easter. Who could recover after that? Heh, just put it on another list of reasons her current life is hell.

Nobody deserves this, no one.

That line was stupid, cliché and true. She hated it. She hated this. She hated her life, her story and truth. It filled her with rage once more, and her chest heaved and heaved. Her breaths became ragged once more, and her teeth grinded. She wanted to scream out in hatred because of this world, and all its disgusting human adults.

Its humanity sucked.

This world was filled with filthy, tainted scum. Who would ever want to live in a world like this? Every one of them wanted something, wanted to destroy something in order to leave a mark on the world in their name. This why there was murders, bad people in this existence.

Everyone expressed the need to live in one way, forever. Whether it may be good, or bad.

' _Humans are horrible, disgusting creatures…'_ Alice thought to herself, as her body twitched in discomfort.

Proceeding from her dark thoughts, Alice's back was still in pain. What now joined the party though, was her chest as well. She didn't know where the sudden manifestation of pain came from, but it definitely hurt like hell.

Every time she took a single breath, she felt she could breathe out fire as her chest heaved more than it should have. She embodied a set of fresh tears in her eyes, as they fell out rather quickly.

She was in tremendous pain that her body had actually, _finally_ managed to move. Alice gripped the layer of cloth covering her chest, and she struggled to breathe. Her body instantly went into a fetal position, as a force of habit from other times this happened to her.

The other times she had an asthma attack.

What joy, she couldn't even recall the _last time_ she took a whiff of her inhaler, so it was bound to happen. Why did it have to happen now though? No one would help her as she cried out in pain and grabbed her neck to get some kind of the very substance that kept her alive.

It was all in vain, she was going to die here.

…

"…h-ho… i…ng… st…" She tried to speak, say something to the man in the corner. But, it was all in vain when he remained still, and no longer murmured towards his toys. He acted as if he wasn't there. And he might as well not be, because it was evident…

Nikaidou-san wasn't going to help her. If Alice could, she'd laugh and laugh drily, asking herself what she thought would happen in the first place. Filthy adults wouldn't help her, a dirty piece of orphan scum like herself.

Why did this shit always happen to her?

Alice's hands then came to a pause, and she stopped struggling. Was there even a point anymore? She continued to cry, as she suffered from not being able to breathe in or out. It was painful, suffocation was the worst way to go, but it was how she was going to die, right now.

As her vision grew blurry, and she heard ringing noises in both her ears, Alice became unaware of the room around her. Even if she wasn't, she wouldn't have able to hear the conversations and witness whoever had walked in, try to help her.

Closing her eyes slowly, she saw a single blue streak pass by quickly, and a bright flash of white before drifting off into slumber.

…

She swear she heard someone screaming out her name.

* * *

When Alice awoke, she had only half a day to rest up before sent her off to school the next day. The girl who had her back raw, and covered in bandages that ached as the blood continued to flow…

The one who had an asthma attack, on the verge of death's row…

With a simple check up from the underground doctor, and some basic first aid, Easter sent her off to school. They sent her off to continue her mission. To continue to her marionette acts. They didn't care about her, they just sent her off to finish the mission.

Her mission in life.

The gears turned in her mind as Alice's conciseness slowly faded. She put herself on auto pilot, proceeding to face the world that wasn't even aware she wasn't truly there. She moved mechanically without a care among the empty figures of carcasses surrounding her, hiding the vivid portrayal of a child definitely not ok.

She wasn't ok… Alice wasn't ok… nothing was.

XXXXXXXX

"Nikaidous-sensei isn't here today…?"

"Who's our substitute?"

"This _really_ old man!"

"Ew…! They're _always_ the _meanest!"_

"I _know,_ anyway-

Alice stared blankly at the empty black board, listening to the voices all around her. They were all chattering happy, mindless words and conversations.

This is what people did at school, everywhere in general. They talked, socialized with others about various topics. They stayed in their own little worlds, not alert of anything around them. It wasn't until a disruption came along, breaking the trance their little worlds had created, that they finally were shown the true side of everything.

A side they didn't bother being aware of.

Alice stayed seated and silent, not moving a muscle.

Earlier, someone _had_ tried to talk to her, but being in her own little world as well, Alice spoke a few words before they quickly went away. She couldn't even remember what she had told them, but it certainly did the trick, seeing as they flinched and ditched her instantly. Hopefully it didn't bite Alice back in the butt later. If an adult were to approach her, it wouldn't end well on both parts.

She wasn't stable enough to be around them, currently. Alice wasn't even sure she should be attending class, at this very moment.

For her injuries, or state of sanity.

If she could think and observe this from a logical and understanding point of view, however… she should be fine. On the other hand, tho-

-…!" Her body suddenly felt on fire, as a manifestation of pain overcame Alice's back. She hunched over, accidently hitting the top part of her forehead onto the desk.

The numbing, throbbing pain was nothing compared to those gashes and cuts screaming her back in contrast, though. They only seemed to scream and complain ever louder, when Alice mistakenly hugged her body in an attempt to comfort herself. Trying to not scream, she bit her lip, drawing even more blood.

She felt the skin tear, and sat back up quickly in agony.

" _Is she alright…?"_

" _What's wrong with her?"_

" _Hey- Look at this…!"_

Instead of even remotely trying to help her, Alice only heard the whispers and chatters of the students around her all move their focuses on herself. They looked at her, eyed her as if she was a strange spectacle.

Wondering what was happening… wondering what she was going to do next.

What was it with kids and adults, humanity in general towards her these days? Did they see her as a circus act, someone to look at and taunt without consideration of the personality and human inside?

"…" Alice simply only stayed silent and unmoving, as she devised her next source of action.

How was she going to escape this one? Students were staring at her, knowing she wasn't alright. So, that took away just getting up and leaving out of the question. Not that she could move anyway, barely getting up she was sure to collapse in pain, as well as dizziness. She hadn't eaten since yesterday. It wouldn't have been a big deal, but she was injured and weak from pain. She was also weak mentally.

' _No, damn it…'_ Alice racked her brain for **anything.** ' _Shit...! What can I do?!'_

What else was sure to work? Just waiting for someone to call a teacher? No, another suggestion out of these circumstances.

"… I'm lost…" Alice murmured to herself, not daring to let anyone hear through the constant points and whispers. "…I've run out of ideas… so _early_ too…" She spat venomously.

Alice would sigh right now. Yet, she didn't want to. Sighing would bring her a rush of more pain, and increase her lack of oxygen.

…

She licked her chapped lips, and continued being the way she currently was. She had no choice but to only do that option.

* * *

It felt like this moment would last an eternity for Alice. The world was black around her and the figures surrounding the area were blurry, only a white outline defined them as her classmates, people she "knew…"

As _humans…_ If the white wasn't there, she would've imagined that they would be animals such as sheep, or pigs. They would oink and make animalistic noises around her. It'd bother her to the point where she'd than begin to curse them out. Soon enough, she'd scream at the top of her lungs, _"Shut up…!"_

Afterwards, Alice would slowly destroy them for staring and just looking at her like some circus freak, as if she were the strangest thing in the classroom. The _classroom._

How are _human's stranger_ then _animals_ in a _**fucking classroom…!?**_ **(A/N: This line made me chuckle… I don't even know anymore. '-_-)**

It wasn't until the color emerald appeared and a sudden warmth began heating up her left cheek, that Alice's eternity of illusions had finally ended. Beyond the black and white portrayal deluding her eyes representing the world to her, it scattered into a million pieces and blew away immediately, showing an empty classroom. Her empty classroom, and a tanned neck she was (unaware of) nuzzling.

She was numb for a moment, then-

-Shit…!" Alice gasped and whimpered as everything came crashing down, once more. Biting her lip as she held back the screams that wanted to echo throughout the school for everyone to hear. It wanted them to be aware of pain they'll most likely never feel in their lifetimes as children. Yet, that was what Alice only knew now, at the current moment.

She reverted forwards, and held back vomit. The person she was laying on, flinched and took in a sharp intake of air at her sudden movements.

"Shinji…!" They gasped near her ear, in panic. It took a moment for Alice to realize that it was Souma-senpai, but looking up and meeting his emerald orbs she knew it was him. Was he here all along? She asked herself, not even attempting to notice that he was the one who indirectly saved her from continuing to be on autopilot. From the dark thoughts within her, herself.

Alice's mind was in shambles, and she couldn't even come up with any words to say to him as she stayed on her shoulder, taking in all of the pain from her injuries and emotions. She had never been like this before in her life, so messed up and disorganized. It frustrated her.

How did it get this way? She asked herself, as the older boy watching her asked the same thing to himself.

How did he even get there?

Souma Kukai could barely recall how he had gotten there in the first place- _Here,_ kneeling in the empty classroom along with the redhead. In this dilemma with Shinji-san.

All he could process throughout it all was that the other Guardians evacuated the students from the classroom (seeing as Shinji-san was unresponsive to them, and wouldn't even budge by grabbing or touching her) while he stayed behind.

Souma-senpai was the oldest, so of course he needed to stay behind with her as Hotori-san called a teacher.

Staying put, he tried everything to snap Shinji out of it. Her touched her stuff, kept ranting about soccer or other sports in attempts to annoy her, and even ruffled her hair for two minutes for Pete's sake! Yet nothing worked, on the contrary of being told _"do not do anything to her, or affect her in anyway at all,"_ even if he _had_ followed those rules, nothing would've had _still_ been the result.

Feeling dejected by his results and even more worried for the girl, Souma-senpai kneeled next to her and did something unexpected. Without disturbing or touching Shinji-san that much, he managed to gently lay her head on his shoulder.

It was a strange action on Souma-senpai's part, but he felt if Shinji-san were to continue staying hunched over like that, it would be uncomfortable and at least her head should lie on something. Unbeknownst to him though, that was the trick that caused Alice's eyes to slowly upwards in order to look at his own.

XXXXXX

"Shinji…!" He called out to her, and Souma-senpai soon found himself face to face with the now responsive girl. Looking into her eyes, he saw a mixture of emotions in them. Confusion, pain and angst, shock and awe…

Shinji-san was a complete wreck. She looked like even more of a wreck, with the results of his attempts being shown obviously by her messy hair.

Souma-senpai found himself hoping soon she would reprimand it for him later.

"…A-Are you ok…?" Some say that question was the most offensive in the world, Souma-senpai knew that, yet he was still asking it anyway to girl who barely regained her sense of reality.

"…s-stupid…" If Alice could barely manage herself at this moment, she couldn't even handle Souma-senpai's concern and stupidity during this current scenario.

So instead, she laid her head back down once more. Not saying anything else as he looked onto her in concern.

"…yeah, stupid…" Souma-senpai murmured in front of her, not sure what to say himself. Lack of words didn't shut him up though, he simply looked down and continued. "…but seriously? Are you alright? You blacked out for a quite a while, everyone's worried… We evacuated the class to give you some space. The others are keeping the students entertained in the classroom next door while Hotori-san grabs a teacher." Alice's eyes widen. "We just need to wait here for them to co-"

"-Souma-senpai…?" She intervened, realizing the true situation she was in now. Easter wouldn't like this, she wouldn't like this… Alice needed to get out of there, and get out _fast._

"Yeah…?" He asked her, his voice full of concern. Alice wasn't sure if he would assist her so easily, but it didn't hurt to _try._

"Do you think you could help me get up?" Souma-senpai gasped and looked at her incredulously, giving her the words she expected him to say.

"Are you crazy…!? What do you mean, _"help you get up?!"_ She just stared up at him, as he continued to reprimand her. "

"Of course I know, senpai." She gave him a hard look. "But I'm feeling a little better now, so if I can just-" Alice took her chances, and tried to immediately stand while Souma-senpai was distracted by her words.

However, the older boy was quicker. The moment Alice managed to place both her feet on the ground, and seemed to no longer be kneeling on her chair in the fetal position. Souma-senpai hurriedly presented his hands onto her back, and held her close to him.

That caused Alice to flinch was more, and her back burned more than ever. She squirmed, and tried to escape from Souma-senpai's hold without it effecting her injuries in any other way, but it sadly didn't work.

"You say you're _"fine,"_ but you're definitely _not."_ He made her looked into his eyes. Murky, meet bright emerald. "What's up with you, why are you like this…?!"

She didn't answer him.

"Why'd you suddenly shut down, and why are you flinching so much!?" He asked her, his eyes pleading for an answer, "are you hurt?"

Again, she didn't answer him, much to the now obvious frustration of the older boy.

Souma-senpai didn't get it… he just didn't get her. He didn't understand Shinji Night. Her she was, having a sudden loss of reality to immediately come back later, and insist she's fine before trying to escape, before flinching when he touched her.

…Was it a girl thing? Is this what his brother, Unkai, had to go through from rare times he'd be seeing someone? After all, he did tell him in one of his "brotherly advices" that girls are tough to handle, as well as really complicated. Was Shinji one of these girl's?

…

If Souma Kukai were to be honest, with his older brother's wisdom now bestowed upon him, if Unkai-onii were to ask, he'd have to say, _"Yes."_

Beyond "yes" for Shinji's case, consi-…

Souma-senpai and Shinji both froze at the same time. She looked down the floor immediately as he looked at his hands which were placed on her back.

His hands, they felt… wet… for some reason.

Lifting up his hands, in order to see the substance that were on them, Alice prepared to run again. Everything went in slow motion that moment in time, Alice tensed and glanced up at Souma-senpai as he looked at his hands in curiosity before the expression turned to pure horror.

His emerald eyes lost their shine for a second, and a revolting yet horrified look drew on his boyish features. His hands shook at first, then the rest of his body followed in motion. The once nice tan skin he had, seemed to pale slowly and surely, as if he had seen a ghost.

That would have been better for the boy to witness however, then realizing somebody else's blood was smeared on your hands.

Staring at his hands, Souma-senpai's throat felt dry as he croaked out, "…i-is… this… your b-blood…?"

His expression showed that he clearly wanted to vomit. This was the perfect time for Alice. She kept silent as he stared at his hands that were loosely behind her back, and proceeding she stood up rather quickly.

But, surprising to her, so did Souma-senpai… and what he did next, was unexpected and shocking to the red head.

Grabbing her jacket, Alice tried to make him let go as he attempted to get the cloth off of her. Squirming and resisting both fell their sides. This proved advantage able to Souma-senpai, as he managed to catch a peek at Alice's back, and was even more horrified to find it covered in loose, bloody patches which he suspected covered her whole back, in vain.

"What happened to you?!" He spewed out of his mouth without a second thought, like any other normal person.

Alice's immediate reply with a glare was, "It's none of your concern."

Souma-senpai gave her an incredulous look. "Of course it is, you're bleeding and wounded! Who did this to you…!?"

"Just shut up!" She snapped, causing the boy to back away a bit. Alice flinched as she quickly sat up, but she didn't care as she spewed the next words out of her mouth before he could say a thing. "This is why I hate people, you all don't get it!"

Souma-senpai looked at her, as if she was insane and grabbed her shoulders. "Get what, what is there to get!?"

Alice gave him the darkest death glare he's ever seen. If looks could kill…

"J-Just…" she stuttered out, "…shut up!" She pushed him away with all her might, and quickly got up off the ground. Not giving the fallen boy a second look, Alice fled from the classroom and down the hall of the academy.

"Shinji-san…!" She heard Souma-senpai call after her. Judging by how far his voice was, and the sound of his steps behind her, Alice knew he wasn't far off ways of catching her.

She quickened her pace as best as she could. Having her back injured really _wasn't_ doing her any favors. Alice promised herself to curse out Nikaidou-san and Easters entirety later, now was not the best time.

She currently to needed to beat Seiyo Academy's top runner at a racing contest.

XXXXXXXXX

It wasn't long before both Guardian's reached the east hallway's staircase. Running downstairs wouldn't have been a problem for Alice if she weren't injured, but for each step she'd take, a sharp pain would surely enough cause her tolerance meter to go down.

She was already at her limit as she felt sweat run down her face, and with each pant welcomed a sharp intake of flinches and held back whimpers.

Alice gulped and near she already used up her time of hesitation. Now, she had to keep going in order to finally escape. Taking a huge breath, Alice ran down the long stairway two steps at a time. Reaching the bottom of the steps, she had one more staircase to go before finally reaching the exit of the academy, and being home-free.

Finding the other stairway, Alice was repeating the same process on the last one until she reached the second minor flight. She was doing well up until now, when her back made her flinch in severe pain. Gasping, Alice found herself falling forwards. Seeing the railing, she was going to grasp it in time to prevent herself from rolling down the stairs when a voice called her from behind.

"Shinji-san…!" He called out to her, causing her to become distracted, and lose her footing. Alice's hand missed the railing, and she fell on her back.

The moment her back met the ground forcefully… Alice screamed.

* * *

He knew he had to get themselves out of there immediately, Shinji screaming out bloody murder definitely got everybody on the second floor's classrooms attention. Hell, maybe the whole school's attention, she did scream pretty loud.

It proved to him how much in pain she was, and how much Souma-senpai needed to get her out of this place, quickly. Snatching up her body from the ground and carrying her in a bridal position, he didn't have time to realize how light her body was as he maneuvered himself out of the school with a slightly conscious Shinji.

"…ve…n't… o… al…"

She murmured stuff to him as he ran out of the school and he tried his best to reply back. Consequently however, already having to run earlier and now panicking again on inside- as well as carrying another stressing situation in his arms, Souma-senpai could barely say as much as a simple one word reply to the girl.

"Yes… yeah-"

In the end though it would all be fine, he reassured himself. He just needed to find his chara, Daichi, in order to deliver Shinji in the hospital for medical treatment, and it'd all be alright in the end. It was a good thing Souma-senpai already knew where the spinach head was.

The Royal Garden.

XXXXXXXXX

"You still with me, Shinji…?" He asked her for the fourth time today, and again the girl replied with unheard able murmurs. She seemed to be trying to tell him something, but through the pain from her back and sudden knock to her head, Souma-senpai couldn't manage to make out one word coming from the redhead's mouth.

"…you'll be alright," he tried to reassure her as best as he could. He kept his eyes on the buildings ahead, the wind hitting his face lightly. "We'll be at Ootori hospital soon enough."

At the sudden mention of the hospital's name, Alice's murky, dazed eyes quickly widened. She shifted, and Souma-senpai immediately looked down to see the girl squirm in his arms. Her blood smeared some more on his uniform, making him uncomfortable and begin to worry for the girl once more.

"Hey-!" He slowed the pace on the hover board as he looked down at her. "You're going to make me drop you!"

Hearing the statement, it made Alice squirm even more, making Souma-senpai tighter his grip on her shoulder and legs. This prevented her from moving any more than she could, she was still weak after all.

"…ot…ere…" She murmured as best as she could. Looking up, and seeing as the boy didn't hear her though, Alice tried once more. This time a little louder.

"…n-not…the-ere…!" She emphasized, this caught Souma-senpai's attention, as she added one squirm to it as well. He furrowed his eyebrows at her, proving he heard her words, and frowned.

"I _can't_ just take you to a clinic, _Shinji…!"_ He stated loudly, trying to get it through the girl's head. "You're literally covering me in _blood-_ If you won't tell me what happened to you, then _let me do this!"_

At the statement, Shinji did the most unexpected thing he wouldn't believe to have witnessed from her. Her murky eyes turned glassy, and she then began to weep in front of. To say her was shocked, was an understatement.

Souma never knew Shinji for long, but he never sought her as one to cry in desperation in front of others, especially since her character wouldn't let her be seen as _"weak"_ or _"so familiar"_ in front of strangers.

Murmuring some more incomprehensible words, Souma's bangs covered his eyes and his expression was blank. His uniform jacket and shirt began to grow wet with a new substance that were Shinji's tears. He stayed like that let for a while, as they flew slowly through the air… before he finally broke.

" _Tch…!"_ Kukai lowered his head as he stopped the hover board, and just looked at Shinji Night. "Why are you like this…?"

He waited for a couple of moments, but didn't get an answer, and he didn't expect to ever get one as he turned the green hover board around, and sped away in the direction of Naoki Clinic.

* * *

Alice awoke in a white room, filled with little objects and a cushioned medical bed that she lay face down on. When the gears in her brain turned, the only thing Alice could remember and realize was that the one who brought her here was the boy currently sitting outside the room, waiting for her.

He carried her there… Souma-senpai carried her all the way to the nearby clinic, as she asked him too.

…

If Alice hadn't known any better… she wouldn't have believed that Souma-senpai followed her plea, for her own sakes. Her plea to refuse any help at all from the school, and the other Guardian's. Instead, just going out of his own way to bring _her_ to Tokyo's small clinic, Naoki Clinic. Not a hospital- where they most likely would have both gotten questioned, and later get their parents called.

In Alice's case, Easter- _specifically,_ Sanjo-san or the Director.

If she didn't believe that this was something later to be used for some ulterior motive, Alice would've immediately trusted and given all of her respect to Souma Kukai-senpai.

But she didn't… Alice couldn't trust him, for he was like everyone else in the end-

 _ **-A filthy animal in humans clothing.**_

XXXXXXXXXX

If Souma Kukai had known Alice a little longer, and truly they had become close friends… He would've called every next word that came from that caller's mouth-

 _ **Bullshit.**_

…

Using his hover board to carry Alice, and arrive to a nearby clinic faster without getting caught, Souma-senpai managed to get her there in time. Boy, did he give the old man who worked there quite a fright: Carrying a young girl with severe injuries that caused her to pass out, as well from exhaustion and other effects.

He literally had to beg the doctor not to send them to a hospital.

" _Clinics here in this area, don't deal with this, young man…! Get her to a hospital instead, I'll call them!"_

He had stated to Souma-senpai, _very_ clearly. He insisted though, to the point where the old man finally gave in, seeing that the older boy's uniform shirt was now literally soaked in blood. Not wanting to get blamed for this, neither continue an argument while someone who needed his help was ignored in the current room, the doctor agreed. Demanding Kukai to put Alice in an empty room with only a bed in the back and select few objects, the doctor got his supplies and went to work.

"… _crap…!"_

Souma-senpai's heart was pounding as he was left alone, outside, just waiting for some time. He had reacted rather well earlier than he had thought, upon seeing Shinji in the state she was in before she passed out. And, he was still calm while bringing her there to the clinic and persuading Dr. Yoshida to heal her, but now that Souma-senpai was alone…

Every little delineate aspect of anxiety or horror inducing emotions suddenly came crashing down on the unprepared boy, all. At. _Once._

Souma-senpai felt like ripping out his hair in frustration in one moment, then the next wanted to run into the "operating room," and ask how Shinji was doing with worry gnawing him inside. It was a disaster. He felt like a disaster.

"… _crap…_ " Kukai placed his hands over his face, and thought for a moment. The little clinic room was silent, he didn't like the silence. It wasn't welcoming… but it begged him to reflect over himself, in hopes of being aware of the new experience now occurring in this moment in time.

In _his_ life.

Souma Kukai was an easy going soul, he did his duties and avoided chores or homework half of the time. He was in the soccer club- The Guardian's too, and enjoyed life to the fullest. Kukai was a normal teen with an abnormally large family. People like him didn't come across situations like this, situations where someone drenched them in blood and begged them not to be saved by anyone above them. Above the somewhat "useless" elementary school students.

No, kids and boys like him didn't come by this- No…! For _better instance…_ Boys like him, Souma Kukai himself, didn't come by someone like: _Shinji Night._

He averted his eyes from the brown tiled floor to Shinji's bag that was lying next to him. When she ran earlier, he managed to take it with him as he ran out after her. Staring at it, he felt tempted to look inside it. She wouldn't tell him how she got hurt, so maybe there was some indication inside her satchel somewhere.

Taking a couple minutes to think the idea over, Souma was finally coming to a conclusion when the sudden sound of a ringtone was ringing throughout the clinic reception room. His eyes widening, Souma looked over at the bag and noticed it was Shinji's phone that was releasing the noise.

"…s-should I…?" He silently asked himself. He knew he probably shouldn't, but what if it was important? The caller on the other side wouldn't wait forever, so Souma took in a deep breath, dug through the bag and picked up the phone without checking the caller I.D.

"H-He- _Alice…!"_ The person- A woman's voice cut him off from the other side. This immediately confused Souma-senpai. She exclaimed the name, "Alice…" Was it, perhaps, a wrong number that they dialed?

Souma didn't have time to dabble on the idea, as the woman continued.

" _Geesh! About time you answered! Anyway, about your injuries, surely they've healed by now, right?"_ Souma froze. _"The Director said about another thousand have been added to your debt. Seeing the state you're in now, though, he's offered you a deal."_

" _It's choice whether you accept or not, however- How can you refuse though, Alice? In contrast to how your debt is now, rejecting would be_ stupid…!

… _Proceeding onwards, here's the request:_

 _You've been lacking on giving_ useful information _about the_ Guardian's _lately. If you provide something about one of the cards, or manage to catch even a little bit of what their next move might be and the Director finds it useful, consider that addition nonexistent._

 _Understood? If so, we'll be seeing you later for the meeting._

 _Goodbye."_ The caller from the other side hung up, and only left the empty ringer noise to be heard loud and clear in Souma's ear.

He simply sat there in the metal chair, in front of the room _she_ was being taken care in.

…

Boy's like Souma Kukai… should never come across girls like: _Alice._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think about this chapter: Is it too rushed, etc.**

 **Also, sorry for the errors, I'm _rrealllyyyy_ sleepy right now.**


	5. ACE- Tale of an Illusion

**A/N: I don't own a thing, Merry Christmas~**

 **P.S- Non-canon chapter (isn't that wonderful?)**

 **P.P.S- Character's are OOC!**

 **Onward** **.**

* * *

 **Omake- Tale of an Illusion**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Alice-chan…? Do you have a moment?"

"Yes? What is it?" Alice lifted her red-brown gaze, and met with that of a cool, blue one. The chara's could be heard in the distance, laughing and cheering as they continued on with their games. It was way past midnight, but tonight everyone didn't really care to sleep, they simply wanted to enjoy and relax in each other's companies. After all, it was Christmas today.

"I was just wondering…" he paused for a moment, not finding the right words as Alice offered him a seat right next to her on the sofa. "What will you do now…? I'll be going home next week." He stopped once more. "The Guardians will be after you now, and Easter wants you to do the thing."

There was a moment of silence. He adjusted his glasses in a nervous habit.

"Man, Kairi-kun…" Alice sighed, and stretched till she heard her limbs pop in satisfaction. Kairi looked at her with annoyance. He always got that way when she stretched, so before she got an earful about her "worrying and annoying habits," Alice shushed him. "You know; you're being pretty depressing right now…" She gave him a knowing look. "I understand that you couldn't go back home in time, and that your sister is off doing work for some fucking reason. But _please_ don't go reminding me about stuff I don't want to think about today-

-I'm being serious this time, Alice!" Kairi's eyebrows furrowed at her joking, sarcastic tone. Though, it also seemed to hold a bit of hostility, and angst. "Without me here, how're you planning to deal with the others now? Much less Easter now that my sister is gone! She can _no_ _longer_ look out for you, Alice! Don't you get it?!" Worry filled his blue eyes as he stared at her for a very long time. He waited for Alice's answer as she stayed quiet, keeping her gaze on the others before she turned to him slowly, and poked his forehead.

-You see _this_ area, right here?" She moved her thin finger around where his creases lay. "If it looks like this, this means you'll grow wrinkles faster than me, Kairi-kun. And I'm older than you. Don't ruin your handsome face before you get a chance to go at it." He gained a pink hue, but refused to get swayed by the redhead's words.

Seeing Kairi stubborn face, Alice grew a bit annoyed herself. Having to take care of his sister and work for Easter on the side, made this kid more mature than Alice liked. It reminded her of how sometimes she acted, and she didn't like it one bit. Children should act like children, not mini adults. They shouldn't have so many responsibilities like cleaning the house, or cooking food, etc. Especially on Christmas time, Kairi shouldn't worry for her.

She doesn't deserve his concern.

 **)(**

"Alright, you all had your fun!" Alice scolded the others. She was tired and sleepy. She wanted to go to bed, but the others wouldn't shut up, so now everyone was going to bed before dawn finally rises. It was how adults used to quote to their kids, _"you ruin something for yourself, you ruin it for everyone!"_

"Time for bed!" She claimed.

"We're not tired~" They all whined at the same time, and Alice rolled her eyes. Kairi smiled as he set up the futons, it was amusing to hear the others bicker with the redhead. It was strange to him, it seemed she was a bit livelier today than any other day. She wasn't holding up that usual exterior of hers, and he was thankful for that, furthermore because of what happened between the two earlier.

Alice made a face at the group of chara's. "Well, maybe the reason you aren't tired is because-

-The futons are ready!" Kairi interjected, and immediately they all hurried into the warm cushions. Alice made another face as she attempted to dry her wet hair in vain, and both Kairi and her quickly joined them. When they were all warmed up and cozy, she gave up and discarded her hair towl elsewhere.

It was Kairi's turn to make a face, one of disapproval.

"You're going to get sick if you don't properly dry your hair." He reminded her. "It's cold outside too, Alice-chan. Plus, despite your hair not being that long-

-Anybody want to hear a song?" She cut him off, not wanting to hear his nagging once more. _'Seriously,'_ she thought, _'the moment I see this kid again, he'll already look like the Director…'_

"Alice!" The redhead began to sing, not even waiting for anyone to give her an answer. As she sang, Kairi and the others silently listened to the girl, and paid close attention to her lyrics:

 _Close your eyes, old earth…_

 _White petals fall from the skies_

 _A gen-tle gaze…_

 _Of Mother's quintessential night_

 _Softly it will move~_

 _Swaying gent-ly~_

Alice wasn't known for her singing (outside of her transformations), so it wasn't odd that Kairi found himself slightly wincing at her high notes. Knowing she herself had no voice of an angel however, he appreciated that she still gave it her all. Her voice wasn't like Utau's, it was a bit deep, but it still did the trick as they both found the chara's fast asleep. Alice stopped after that, and her breathing came to a slow that Kairi pondered if she was asleep herself?

…

"… Hey…?" Her voice called out to him. The sound of the futon and blankets ruffling could be heard in the dark as Alice shifted and turned to face him. Kairi turned his head, and blinked at her. Alice's face and figure in front of him was blurry, despite them not being that far apart. He tried squinting get a better look, but to avail.

"What is it?" Kairi asked through his narrowed eyes, making Alice give him a questioning look. He didn't manage to catch it though, as the redhead reached over and placed the glasses carefully on his face before continuing.

"I want you to do me a favor." She said, and he nodded. "When you go back home next, I want you to forget about me."

.

.

.

" _What…?"_ The word slipped from his lips, not a second to late after she said that. Alice's face was void of emotion, and her eyes were blank, but weirdly serious. Kairi didn't know what to say as he began to rub his temples.

"You…!" He aspirated. "What kind of a favor is that?!"

"Keep your voice down, you'll wake up the others." She whispered sternly back, pressing a finger to his lips that did nothing to help the situation except bring another pink hue to his cheeks.

"Do you know how crazy you sound?!" He whispered back, his emotions running wild. "What do you mean, _"forget about you?!"_ How is it possible to forget about someone that easily?!"

"Then ignore my existence temporarily." She responded, still not getting it. That was what Kairi assumed.

"How can I _"ignore_ or _forget"_ about you?" He stated, trying to get the message through. "Even if I tried, it would be of no use…! Since day one you've been on my mind, and I can't get rid- _…!"_ He paused, and took a deep breath. Slowly, Kairi squashed his face into the pillow. They both stayed silent for a while before he lifted his head up again, and shifted.

"What're you going to do when I'm gone, Alice…?" He repeated, his glasses discarded once more. Her face was blurry again, and for once… He was happy about that. He didn't want to know what emotion she held upon her sharp features. "How are you going to handle thing's from now on? Easter won't give up, especially now that the others are growing serious about stopping them with each day that goes by. My sister and her boyfriend are gone now… The same goes for Utau-san… Ikuto-san and you are the only ones left. I can't imagine what they'll do next, and what purpose you'll now serve. I don't want to think about it, I don't want whatever's going to happen next _, actually happen, Alice!"_

He clenched his eyes and fists, his teeth grinding unconsciously. He was unaware of what Alice was doing, as he said, " _So please_ , don't ask me to forget about you. _Seriously,_ how could I just forget about the person whom I'm wor-

The boy felt a pair of long, thin arms wrap around him. He gasped quietly. They were quite cold, and seemed to be shaking as he let them drag himself closer to the recipient. The two didn't hug however, Alice only brought Kairi close enough so that she could only half-hug him, and murmur her next words silently.

"Don't worry about me," she said, her voice uneven and distant. "Everything will be alright." His lack of proper sight didn't affect Kairi this time as he noticed her smile was strained, and painfully fake. Alice didn't even bother to try, she only led him on with false sense of security, and they both knew it. In reality, she didn't know what to say or do, so… Her resolve was to treat him like the child he was.

She stroked and patted his green hair softly, humming drearily. Moving his arm, Kairi gently touched the area where she poked, and compared it to hers. His blue eyes ran along the faded crease, she had more than he did. Looking into her eyes that avoided his piercing gaze, he dully noted that her eyes changed color once more. They were dark and murky, resembling pools of dark mud. He stared into them in silence until her eyelids closed, hiding the pools.

Rather quickly, he soon fell victim to his own slumber as well.

* * *

 **Time skip:**

…

 **When** Kairi returned after getting a call from Alice about being re-administered, the girl before him was no longer the same one he knew before. She was thinner, her hair was chopped off and she was scarred all over. She looked like she went through hell. Kairi didn't know whether to cry, or get angry.

So he did both.

Through his tearful scolding however, Alice only smiled back at him gently, and took it all in before giving him a hug.

"Back then…" she began, "I told you everything was going to be alright, and to not worry about me…" She gave out a shaky breath. "What I refrained from ensuring to you though, was the most evident peace of mind that I could've presented to you, in order for you to truly trust me and my words. And for that inconvenience and avoidance, _I'm so sorry, Kairi."_

She didn't give a pause in between like she normally did before… Kairi tightened around the girl despite there really not being anything to grasp anymore. But that didn't stop Alice from hugging him back.

"Trust me as I say these next words, and by saying this, I can assure you now that I can keep my word," she softly patted his head. _"I'll be fine from now on, Kairi. You won't have to worry about me or Easter, any longer now. Welcome back, Jack. And Merry Christmas too!"_

It was the first time he had ever seen Alice truly give a big smile.

Kairi told her it suited her well.

* * *

 **A/N: Not edited~**

 **...**

 **Merry Christmas! Here's an omake for you with Kairi~ I like writing him, so here he is! I know this Omake won't make sense, but the gist was just to enjoy it. There are some hints in here for the future of this story, here and there, but besides those tiny points, I don't consider this chapter canon! Think of it as an alternate universe chapter, considering it is an omake.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you have a good one!**

 **...**

 **P.S- Next chapter is right about done, so stay tuned for that!**


	6. Control

**A/N: Unedited because… FUUU this chapter!**

 **If I didn't need it for the story then I wouldn't have uploaded it and I would've simply moved on.**

 **Thank you for the follows and favorites and occasional review! They bring me joy, even though I don't show my gratitude that often. So, here you go. Enjoy the chapter that frustrated me to no end, and kind of makes no sense. :3**

 **(One day… I just know I'll come back and revise it like every other. Just you wait!)**

 **Onward.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5- Control**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Alice had briefly remembered how she reacted when she heard Easter was finally coming. Deep within the catacombs of her dead, forgotten memories she felt herself forcefully being made to watch as the projectile came onto the screen. It resembled some fucking movie, as it played and reshowed the memory over and over.**

 **She** _ **hated**_ **it, oh how she wanted to wake up from the nightmare so badly.**

 **)()()()()()(**

 _Alice didn't want to remember - eyes. They were always_ _so_ pale green _. They always reminded her of her mother's, that horrible bitch of a mother she had. Her father was the only one she had always preferred. Sure, he tried to marry her off like her birth-giver, but just like his name meant, Atatakai-sama was full of warmth that was given to all his children. He loved them equally, instead of one over the other or none at all like her mother._

 _(Her mother only gave them discipline after discipline. She followed her own parents example.)_

 _For her suitor's, Alice's mother was only interested in what background they had then character. Her father tried to look past that, and studied the boys profusely before rejecting them, deeming all "never good enough."_

 _Mirashi-kaasan was never pleased in the end because of this outcome, and would often fight it out with the warm man every time._

(Maybe it wasn't that strange- That Alice was born rather unexpectedly.)

 _On days like these, her siblings stared at her a little longer then they normally should have._

 **)()()()()(**

 _It was late at night when she had received the call, and information. She froze the moment the caller on the other line hung up, and felt the need to vomit when she realized there was a reason why Sayaka didn't show up that night._

 _(The pale-eyed woman also avoided her gaze, that day too.)_

 _Immediately, remembering her sister, Alice went into a rampage. She threw her cell phone as hard as she could across the room, and watched as it broke on impact against the hardwood wall. What did she expect to happen? Alice didn't know as she screamed her lungs out before uncontrollably weeping as she had a nervous breakdown. She couldn't breathe, because her asthma was brought into the mix as well. Mato and Rin tried to help her calm down._

 _It was of no use though as she pressed her hands tightly against both sides of her head, and tried not to rip her long hair out._

" _T-They're coming for me… T-They're c-c-coming for me… T-" She continually repeated until they actually did show up._

 _(By then though, Alice had her "resolve.")_

 _Her futile attempts were petty as she didn't even try to escape the moment they laid hands on her. Alice knew she had run away for so long now, that if she continued to run, it would continue to be a never-ending chase. It would drive her to insanity, and despair. Who knows what would become of her then._

 **Target captured: Yotsuki Alice of -, -.**

 _Alice felt exhausted and lowly. So without a fight she let them drug her and tie her up. Her chara's had escaped earlier, they didn't want to leave her, but she chased them away. If she no longer had the will to go on, her decision shouldn't have to affect them. Alice only hoped they would be safe with -. That stupid ginger would surely keep them alive and well, after all they had that fucking big ass house to prove it. Show off._

 _(Later, she would learn that her chara's never even made it past the second block as a certain blunette had gotten to them first.)_

 _Proceeding after double checking that their hostage was completely tied up, Alice was taken to a helicopter, and flown away from her cold "home." Her sight was bleary, and blotchy as the drugs did what they did to her. She wondered if Sayaka, in that moment, was finally satisfied with herself. The woman always thought she was a screw-up, and often felt insecure while treating herself like a piece of shit. Alice couldn't help but have a face with Sayaka around, especially whenever she heard the woman say horrible things to herself._

" _Pathetic, worthless-!"_

 _If she couldn't encourage_ herself _, how did she expect herself to be someone who has others looking up in respect. Years with their mother caused this, but now that she was dead it made Alice wonder if Sayaka's subconscious was recreating the "beauty herself" in a ghostly form. If that were true, the form_ could _talk to Sayaka (depending on her state of mind), and seeing as it maybe was their mother, then that would lead to h-_

Alice stopped herself right there. _She didn't feel well enough to look further in the darkening subject with her sister's mental health and stability. She could only pray for her sister now. Alice tried to help her, but there was only so much a child like herself could do._

 _Alice hoped that her sister would be alright, and by doing this… That Sayaka got somewhat of a boost in her self-image._

* * *

 **Alice's** _throat was hoarse, and dry. It burned every time she swallowed the non-existent spit she wished was there. That only thing that remained was a foul taste in her mouth from earlier as she vomited her insides out. But for some reason, she tasted iron as well. Did she bleed? Maybe she bit her tongue along the way? Alice felt that some of the crusted solids were still on her chin she weakly wanted to wipe the crust away vain. She felt a bit on her neck, and noticed some on her sprawled out hair. Wanting to move her arms, Alice quickly realized she was kept down onto the table, and she immediately grunted. Pain shot through her neck, she moved her head and felt like crying once more._

" _Egh…!" Alice felt absolutely revolted, and hated not only herself, but Easter. Her mind racked around for the memories she didn't want to think of again, trying to get some remembrance of her blurry moments that brought her here. Never in her life had she felt so weak, and a lowly piece-of-shit before today._

 _Alice hated it, and felt like ripping away the loose, bloody bandages from her neck._

 **)()()()(**

 _They toyed around with her body as if she was a rare specimen, poking needles here and there, grabbing her DNA in case she ran once more and other pieces of data. They also injected something else into her… It was X-egg energy. Afterwards she screamed for what felt like hours, it wasn't until blood began to fill up in her throat that Alice was finally shut up. Easter's underground doctors rolled out as quickly as they came in to sedate her, and stopped the bleeding._

 _She saw stars and misshapen shapes while she looked up at the endless, black ceiling. She cried again._

 **)()()(**

 _Alice's face felt crusty and sticky with the dried up snot and tears and other fluids on her. Her throat still hurt and so did the certain area on her back. When they experimented on her earlier, they were quick to do the deed as her face was pushed onto the cold, metal table. Alice wanted to scratch the unreachable spot, and peel that area skin off from the rest of her. It didn't deserve to be there, that mark wasn't supposed to be there._

 _It burned. The area where they branded her like a fucking animal… It burned like hell itself on raw skin._

 _It burned like shit, and she couldn't do shit about it. Alice felt like screaming again, and thrashing around in attempts get out of the table she was currently planted on. She wanted to go on a rampage and tear down the fucking walls and endless ceiling. But what would that prove of her? It would show them she truly was a creature, and that she should be kept tied up in the dark. That her branding was truly deserving. And that she deserved to be here in the suffocating dark where she was to surely grow paranoid in._

"… _I-…I… d-don… wan…t-to…" She stopped and licked her chapped lips, tasting so many flavors that were awful and made her sick to her stomach again._

… _No, if she was to get any chance of leaving this room, Alice needed to be smart and keep herself together. She couldn't be like Sayaka. Sayaka who was a mental and emotionally messed up woman. She always tried to act strong, but deep inside she was always beating herself up. She's unstable, and needs some serious therapy sessions._

 _No, Alice had to show them she was "ok,_ _and loyal." In other cases, however, she had to act well enough to trick them. Alice could never be loyal to them, would never be. But, she had to play that deeming part in order to be let off with an easier pace. She had to keep herself together and stable. If she could do that, Alice knew she would be alright._

 _She heard a door open._

…

" _Let her out."_

* * *

 **A** streak of blue hair was the last thing she saw. She had no doubt it was Ikuto, but... was he the one also responsible for the soft plantation of a kiss on her forehead as well?

 **)()(**

Alice was never used to vulnerability. Sure, she was a child, but that never meant she exposed herself so much like others around her age group. It just wasn't who she was, the only one who ever saw her tears was her father, her _dead father._ The only genuine human she could trust in her life. Who could see her breakdowns and reactions to faults.

(Easter doesn't count.)

So, it felt foreign to her that when the moment Souma-senpai stepped through the door and closed it, that he immediately put her in a cornered area with his single question of:

" _Who are you, really?"_

Her eyes were wide as saucers as she felt her asthma react badly once more.

* * *

"Here you go," Souma-senpai was instantly handed a set of new clothes. His old one's had gotten quiet messy, so the elderly clinic man named Dr. Yoshida, offered him some new garments. "I'm sorry, these were the only ones we had." Souma-senpai took a brief glance at the outfit. It resembled that of medical assistants. "Those were the only spare in the backroom, you see."

He casually waved the apologetic man off.

"It's alright, Doc!" Souma-senpai's boyish grin was infectious as always, but it was a little strained than usual. Not only that, but the boy also looked a little pale to the doctor. It was made evident, seeing as he had darker skin than any other Japanese children around the area.

Dr. Yoshida wondered what was wrong. Maybe the injury of his friend finally had gotten to him? The seriousness of the situation caught up, or perhaps he was nervous that Dr. Yoshida would tell his parents? The possibilities were endless in the old man's mind as he continued to ponder. He wanted to ask what was wrong to the young male, he really did, but based on past experiences, he knew better. No one liked nosy old men like himself butting into their business. So as a reply, the doctor simply nodded with a smile of his own placed upon his old lips.

"Must be better than that bloodied uniform." Dr. Yoshida motioned towards Souma's bloodied uniform. It had been two hours now since he had arrived with Shi- _… Alice…_ That the blood had crusted up his previously white shirt. Some areas were still fresh however, but having no other choice, Souma carefully attempted to not have the bloody areas stick to his stomach. He didn't want to feel more uncomfortable than he already did, and add to the layers of blood on his stomach.

Souma could already smell the metallic odor, wafting around his body. He greatly felt the need to take a bath. He wanted nothing more but to remove the maroon from his front, and just sit quietly in the warm waters. Sure, he'd hear ruckus coming from his family in the background here and there, but at home, that was the only place he was allowed to think peacefully… away from her.

 _(…Alice…)_

 **)(**

"You seem fairly calm, despite the ordeal you just faced." He nodded at the doctor's small chatter. He kept nodding, just listening to him speak, not actually processing what he was saying. It was only murmurs in Souma's mind as thought to himself, trying to keep his emotions down.

They were jumping, and creating havoc all around inside him. Crashing over one another, it felt as if he had a typhoon "cleansing" his state of mind, with each edging wave, they slowly broke apart his sanity, piece by piece. The same with his heart. Souma felt very unsure of himself, he didn't know what to do except nod towards the doctor, and refuse to speak a word.

Souma had a feeling that if he opened his mouth, and moved from the spot he desperately tried to keep himself planted in… He'd run and burst into the room where Alice lay, and he'd scream and shake till…

 _-And another thing-"_ God, how'd he wished that man would shut the fuck up.

* * *

 _His violet eyes stared at her intensely, and she didn't know what to do. What was one to say in this situation? His eyes begged for a reaction, any sort of hint that gave away she was feeling... something towards him._

 _He was beyond forgiving himself, and now he only sought any excuse that would make sure he could hate himself more. He didn't want to stay there, he wanted to leave her alone so he could avoid those dead-eyes of her, and wallow somewhere else in his own self-pity._ _She was the epitome of what they were capable of, when "challenged." Her chara's were evidence as well as they continued to be held in a room far away from her. Distinctly, she could hear their far off voices screaming. She knew he could hear them too, as he lowered his head a bit further down._

 _Call her sadistic._

 _Call her a monster, but slowly Alice reached out, and held Ikuto's hand within her grasp. Her cold, iron hand resembled that of a chain to Ikuto as it held him down. It was conspicuous. He wasn't going to be able to leave. He was going to have to stay in the underground in silence with only small chara's voices screaming in the distance as his second source of company. Ikuto could smell the metallic blood left over from earlier, he refused to look up._

 _He held her hand back, shaking. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and guilt was gnawing away his mind._

 _She was fully aware of what she was doing- He was fully aware of what she was doing._

…

 _Alice smiled._

 **)()(**

"What's your real name?" His emerald orbs were dull and dazed, so unlike the friendly one's he carried around day by day. Alice felt a pit in her very core as she stared back at them. The look she unknowingly gave to others- That very expression didn't suit him at all. Her breath hitched, and her "fate" flashed before her eyes:

 _("What a shame…" A large hand covered her whole face, the grip was strong and she felt as if her head would cave in. The child looked at her from afar, seated on his high throne behind the curtained wall._

" _Yes, what a shame…" His blue eyes were cold, and voice toneless. The angelic face in front of them was a mask, and hiding behind it was the monster within the child itself._

" _ **Kill her."**_ _Her head caved in rather quickly.)_

"… _!"_ She gasped and snapped out of it. Panic began to rise within her very core, replacing the weird feeling. Covering her face in her hands, without any regards of the other soul in front of her, Alice started to break down once more. She didn't want that… that image in her head. She didn't want to think at all in that very moment. Easter and its _Gozen…_ They could do anything to her! What…?

 _("Obey Gozen, and I… You're ensured of your safety, then.")_

…She didn't want know.

She doesn't want to find out-

 **She doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't, she do-**

 _-ALICE…!"_

Alice froze… she shivered and her pants were rapid. Her mind was fuzzed, and she didn't even know what was happening anymore. Why was this happening and why she was here. In the hospital, in this situation and her life in general…

She was tired. Oh so tired, her hands fell from her face in a slow, careful motion. She looked at her palms- The white sheet underneath was blinding. She blinked.

"… _why…?"_ His voice resembled a frog, or toad's. The single word came out as a croak, bringing back far too many unwanted memories. The question held to many emotions in one speaking, the most evident being desperation, and disbelief.

 _("Why…? Why, Sayaka?!" She sobbed out.)_

Alice began to mimic Souma, and her past self. "Why…~ Why… WHY-WHY…?!" The repetition was mocking and condescending. Souma clenched his fists, forcing them to stay at his side as he watched the redhead. She began to make, small, incomprehensible gestures and movements that didn't even make sense. He stayed quiet.

…

It went on for a while.

 **)()()(**

"… _why…"_ Alice felt a fresh set of warm tears fall down her face, and she soon stopped her nonsensical act.

 _(She had to appear OK, and swear "her allegiance to them."_ Who was she kidding?!)

Alice chuckled, shaking her head. _"Serious, who the_ fuck _am I kidding?"_ Her throat conjured up some snickers that soon turned to pitiful, dry laughter. She laughed and laughed- the tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks. Alice's arms clutched around her sides and she hung over, ignoring the erratic behavior she was suddenly producing. And the seething pain of her coming from her back.

" _Ahahaha!"_ Souma's emerald stare trailed over her. _'Is someone like this…'_ He grinded his teeth in agitation. _'Really stable enough to betray us with their own free will…?'_ He asked, imagining the girl from before, who first arrived to Seiyo Academy. _Shinji Night_ was calm and composed. She had sharp features that furrowed often, and had different mindset then he himself, established.

 _Alice…_ however _,_ she was lost. She couldn't make sense of herself right now, she broke down the moment he questioned her true identity. Earlier, that woman from the other line eluded that she owned them a "debt." It was clear the issue had to deal with money.

' _Is that why she's this way?'_ His breathing slowed, and Souma convinced himself that it made sense. This was why she was like this. And why she was acting out this way. She never imagined it would come to this- For whatever reason she was doing this.

(It had not yet occurred to Kukai that the pieces were all in front of him. He didn't realize yet that he was able to put them all together.)

 **)()()()(**

Call him utterly stupid, or just… he didn't know another term, but the point was, was that Souma felt compelled to be _known_. Whether it be as a friend, or foe- He couldn't care less at the moment. He didn't want to just stand there, watching Shi- _…Alice…_ Whatever identity she wanted to be known as! He didn't want to just stand by, and watch her like a kid watching another get bullied. As they hurt internally and externally. Souma wanted to help her, and let it be known he was there.

He extended his arm forward, attempting to keep his nervous heartbeat at a low. The same went for the composure in his hand, it was shaking and he begged for it to seize from doing so. How was he going to convince her that she was alright, and that everything was going to be "A-ok" if he couldn't calm himself down?

Souma did the deed quickly. He latched onto Alice's small, cold hand and managed to hold it within his warm and sweaty one for a minute. Souma sucked in a breath, and pleaded to the unstable girl silently. Alice needed to come back, come back to him and _talk_ to him. Even if she was condescending or just saying one word responses… It would make him think she was alright. She was fine and healthy. And after what he found out today, he noticed it wasn't her fault because she couldn't _control_ _it_.

She wasn't a… traitor…?

* * *

Alice felt dead-inside when she ended her breakdown. She was sick, and her back was in so much pain that she thought she was going to pass out again. Glancing at her and Souma-senpai's intertwined hands, Alice didn't feel in any mood to deal with the shit that was about to go down next, nor was she interested in this point on advising Easter about their "little mistake."

Sighing, instead she asked only one favor from the boy. Red-brown clashed with emerald.

"Help me get home today, and tomorrow you'll have your answers." Her words were sincere and trustworthy. Souma didn't ask any more questions as he helped her from the medical bed, and took her home.

* * *

 **A/N: Ikuto, Alice, and Kukai…! Hints here and there. Haha.**

…

 **I sincerely disliked this chapter. And I tried my best.**

 **Tell me what you think: I wouldn't blame you if you tell me nothing at all because it was pretty bad. Ugh, I struggled so hard, and it was so drawn out that I did myself a favor by changing it to a 2-parter. I don't know why, but I always have to add so much, and make it look as best as it can (aka, me only "approving it") be before I release it. This is why I revise my chapters so much, and take forever to release a measly section of this story.**

 **Excuse my ranting. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next one.**


	7. Resolution

**Chapter 6- Revelations'**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N: Hullo, I am back!**

 **I'd like to thank everyone who follow and favorite-d my story while I was gone. It meant a lot seeing those notifications. It gave me motivation to avoid my schoolwork and finish this for you.**

 **Anyway, I won't deprive you of this chapter any longer.**

 **Onward.**

 ***Unedited***

 **Warning: First italics paragraphs are in the future. A missing scene, I suppose.**

* * *

 _ **He**_ _watched from the sidelines. Discreetly leaning in, listening to the conversation while sneaking glances at the redhead sitting in front of his mother. He wasn't surprised she popped up. She was injured, yet they only did a measly job in patching her up._

 _His face remained only blank when he saw her wince, and heard her give out a single cry when Souko removed the bandages. Not gasping at all, she quickly called up the ambulance and the Director, himself._

 _Silently, he walked towards them. His mother's eyes widen at the sight of her son. He had never let himself come onto her sight long enough, that Souko was beginning to feel like she would forget his face. What he looked like, and how different he was compared to his father._

 _His_ real _father._

 _Ikuto only spared his mother a glance. She was hurriedly busy now that someone had finally picked up. Ikuto didn't want to know who it was specifically, so he continued to where Alice was sitting. She didn't even flinch, or cover herself when he towered over her. She neither flushed, or showed any emotion as usual. In fact, she sat properly with her hands in her lap, staring at nothing in particular._

" _Barely a day… And you already failed your mission." He said._

" _Barely a day, and so many have already bitched to me." She spoke aloud calmly. "Why don't you fuck off?"_

 _Ikuto raised an eyebrow at her vulgar language, but said nothing. Instead, he tucked his hand underneath her chin, and made her look upwards at him. She was taken back by his expression. Ikuto didn't feel any shock by this knowledge._

" _-What the hell," he wasn't mad. No, just curious. "Who patched you up? It definitely wasn't the work of those under dwellers."_

" _Wouldn't you like to know?" She said, knowingly. "Seems everyone lately; are becoming to nosy for their own good."_

 _He leaned in. "Not nosy, just sincerely curious."_

" _You're a sadistic little shit, aren't you?" She sneered. "Making me want to laugh, knowing what state I'm in."_

" _Who helped you?"_

" _Seriously, fuck off. I'm not in the mood. If you couldn't tell already. I have no patience to deal with you." He leaned in some more, Alice felt his breath on her face and tried to move away, but his grip was like steel._

" _Tell me." Ikuto's blue hair tickled against her cheeks. "Was it one of them?"_

 _Alice's eye's glazed over for a moment when he asked that._

 _Only a moment passed…_

" _Emerald eyes." She blurted out without a second thought in mind. The day was very blurry in the beginning, but as she remembered her state from earlier, she realized his eye's shone the brightest against all the havoc today._

 _His bright, emerald eyes. They were like pure jewels, not yet tainted. Alice wondered how they'd shine tomorrow._

" _That's enough for now."_

 _Ikuto let her go. His hair left a strange feeling on her cheeks, and nose. He watched Alice as she sneezed, and hissed about her back once again. Souko came rushing forward, and began to lead the girl outdoors with nothing but a towel for cover._

 _Silently, Ikuto reminded himself to let his emerald enemy off, for next time._

* * *

Alice couldn't describe how much she hated Nikaidou Yuu.

The man who threw her into the pile of trash called his 'dreams,' and the one who had gotten her in this situation in the first place. Souma-senpai refused to let it go. Just as she suspected. He wanted to know who had injured her. He wanted to know who she worked for (despite knowing himself already- It was obvious), and he wanted her to explain to him what they would do next.

 _They._

 _It was as if they were a team,_ stuck in something _they_ could bloody fix or hide underneath an old mattress. Alice wasn't aware of the imagery in the boy's mind, but who was to say she was going to even tell him anything at all? This problem had no solution, or future because she wasn't going to dwell on it. She didn't operate that way- There is no 'they.' It was only her; it is only her.

Yotsuki Alice, herself.

A marionette and sheep weren't heard of, nor talked about in the same sense, were they?

 **.**

He was nervous and anxious. He had guilt gnawing his entire body down to the core. Quickly, it filled him with the thoughts of the doctor's face _when_ the old man would slowly come realize they were gone. Dr. Yoshida had helped Souma, tended to Alice with her injuries without so far as any questions towards the boy. He had comforted him, and kept going with small talk so he wouldn't feel so awkward.

Souma clenched his fists in anger and disappointment towards himself, forgetting they were holding onto Alice's legs. She opened her eyes, not hesitating once to point it out, "As much as I'd like to not complain," she said, "seeing as you are carrying me… Would you mind not grabbing onto my skin so forcefully? Please, I'd appreciate it. I don't need any more injuries." Underneath her, Souma-senpai flinched and nodded. He hadn't spoken a word to since they left the clinic, and personally Alice was glad about that. She was always glad when he didn't open his mouth, to be honest. It may be a harsh, but she had finally run out of fucks to give.

He was another sheep, just like the rest of them. There was no difference between them all at this point to her.

(Thank Nikaidou.)

"We're nearing the apartments," she told him. "Leave me at the corner as you did before, for your own safety."

He sucked in a breath. "What about you? You're injured! No way I'm letting you wonder off on your own!" Alice tightened her grasp, Kukai winced at her iron-grip. Her thin fingers were digging into his shoulder bones.

"Did you not hear me? Should I clear my meaning? _I'm being watched_ \- My area is under strict surveillance. Not for good essence, but to see who and what enters and leaves. You'll understand later, but you can't be seen with me." She pointedly stated, her piercing gaze chilling him. "It'll end badly for both of us, so just do as I say for once. Got it." Her tone showed no room for debate.

Souma stayed quiet, and Alice refrained from sighing. She looked down and noticed the lights from the city were beginning to grow dimmer as they flew on. Easter held as much light away from the apartments as they could. It was easier that way to hide some of the corporates celebrities (specifically Utau), and others of importance who belonged to the company.

(The layout was convenient too. When Easter's workers dragged people in, and out from their apartments.)

Alice carefully took out her cellphone. A big 'E' stood out clearly on the back of the touch screen, it was shiny against the steel grey. Earlier, answering her phone without a second thought, Kukai didn't manage to catch that large detail. If he had seen it sooner, both of them wouldn't have been in this situation.

She double checked the time, it was around 8:13 PM. She never would've guessed that time had gone by so fast. Alice felt exhausted. She wanted to go to bed, and no doubt she knew Souma-senpai wished the same as well, however, there was still work to be done. Alice had to make a call once she got home, to a certain someone.

How else was she going to get proper medical attention?

"Don't you talk to any of your neighbors? Do you have even _have_ a neighbor?" Alice looked up as Souma-senpai drawled on. "Anybody you can trust? I really don't like the idea of just dropping you off at that corner without even a splint of help. You have to know somebody, _right_?!" He attempted to glance at her, his head turning at an odd angle. His familiar bright green eyes gleamed against the darkness. They were austere. Alice didn't enjoy the look, she instantly felt trapped.

(She was never used to feeling like a caged bird before. Her life was always 'free' before she had come back to Japan.)

Alice endured his assertiveness, nevertheless, and replied with "I know someone, so don't worry about me. I'll contact them now." He stared at her, and the hover board stopped. With one look she could tell he didn't believe her, and Alice hated that _oh_ - _so_ very much. She wondered what was the boy's issue? Why couldn't he just be the good little auburn that he was before, and just take her word for whatever she's already told him?

(Souma's attitude as of that moment- reminded her of Ikuto's. She didn't like that resemblance.)

The hover board started up a second after their stare down and launched forward, faster than before. A whiplash of fear brought Alice back to her sense's. She begrudging moved her arms and locked them around the older boy's neck carefully, and tried to hold on in slight fear. She was careful of her back as she shifted a bit.

"I suggest you actually get in contact with that person you have in mind, Alice!" Souma-senpai yelled over the wind. She didn't like it that he called her by her first name. It made her feel uncomfortable. "Don't think right after I drop you off, I'm gonna leave. I intend on fully seeing this person!"

After hearing his statement, Alice began to feel resentment. She just wanted to get away from Souma-senpai. He was annoying her, and getting on her last nerve.

Slowly, she opened her mouth and continued to talk to him.

 **.**

School was a drag for Souma, he had been just wanting to leave all day and go confront her about the ordeal like she promised. His mind etched with each variable and possibility on a conclusion, on why she did it, and who she was working for.

(He had placed the pieces together since last night, but he had refused to believe it himself.)

Souma hadn't told the others. Normally… _Normally_ , he would've called up Hotori-san in a heartbeat, and request for him to call a meeting tomorrow, for everyone to hear the news. He would've of- Souma wasn't one to keep vital secrets from his best friends. He wasn't! _Yet_ … Alice's words kept crawling through his mind all night as he stared at his cell phone, and contemplated on calling Hotori-san's number.

" _I haven't been with you guys for even a day. Why are you even so invested in this? In me?"_ Alice's words echoed. _"The truth is of no use to the likes you. My reasoning is of no value- I won't even be around for long. So I suggest for you to drop it, and move on with your life. Don't burden the others with nonsense."_

…

It wasn't nonsense.

It wasn't nonsense to him, as Alice said. That woman proved it.

 _She smiled at him, her eye's filled with motherly warmth. Alice was held safely in her arms. Quietly, woman whispered:_

" _Thank you." Then they left._

You could call him crazy, but Kukai saw something in that woman's eyes. It was as if she was sending him a message, bigger than that 'thank you.' Dropping Alice off last night, that woman came running. Her face was full of worry, and she took the stiff redhead into her care. Alice didn't do a thing, and the woman looked at him. Her violet eyes were curious, and slightly joyous. Quickly, she murmured something to Alice, but the girl didn't respond. In fact, she hadn't said or moved at all since the woman had appeared.

Writing down his notes, Kukai felt his heart squeeze again, remembering the sight. His nerves gnawed him from the inside. He tried to understand why Alice had reacted that way, yesterday. She was like a doll, her eyes blank as she looked down and stood still. It was as if she hadn't known what to do while the woman looked over her carefully, and cautiously.

(Unknowingly, the boy was spot on. Alice _didn't_ know how to react.)

 _Like a mother to a child…_

He gasped. Maybe that was it?

"Souma!" Kukai looked up, hearing the teacher call his name. He asked him to read the next paragraph. Reluctantly, Kukai stood up and read the next English passage. He made so many mistakes, and read it rather terribly that the teacher told him to sit down soon, after about five sentences. Not feeling embarrassed whatsoever, Kukai sat back down and concluded:

It wasn't about the principal of the matter to him anymore, it was about how he couldn't leave her alone. He made a subconscious promise to the others that he would be like a big brother to them, and a loyal friend. Regardless of whether they've been there from the start, or simply just a day.

…

(Was that really, _just it_?)

 **.**

" _W-Why are you here…?!"_ Alice turned her head over, giving Souma-senpai a look. He gaped at the sight before him, very annoyed. Sure, he was happy she finally got checked into a real hospital- After all the trouble I went through yesterday! You still end up _here_?!"

Alice rolled her eyes at him, noticing that the boy began to breath heavily. "Souma-senpai, we're in a hospital." She waved her hand around, "Be a little respectful. Those lying on their death beds are already having trouble that's painful enough as it is. They don't need a disrespectful child entering the only 'peaceful' place they have to rest- to add more ruckus to their unfruitful lives."

"Yeah, well at least I'm not flat-out insulting them like you are right now." He countered back, his auburn brows furrowing at Alice's blatant rudeness. What was up with her? He couldn't tell. Like she had mentioned before, they had only known each for about two days now. A lot happened in two days, but she had never _truly_ properly shown him this side of herself. Was this another section he had to suddenly deal with?

Alice didn't respond back immediately. She analyzed Souma-senpai for a bit. He looked tired, and his uniform was messier than usual. It was evident he didn't get enough sleep from last night, nor bothered to make himself look presentable. And the reason why was all because of her. He still came back didn't he? Seeking answers for something that didn't concern him- Souma was quite nosy for his own good.

She smiled at him. "Take a seat. The nurse won't be back for at least a couple hours. Let's get this over with."

Kukai unconsciously gulped, as Alice closed the curtains behind him.

 **.**

"I'm with Easter. The corporation that destroys and corrupts Heart's Egg's on the side, and attempts to obtain the Embryo." Alice wasn't expecting a reaction, so she wasn't surprised when she hadn't gotten one. "Which also happens to 'coincidentally' be the Guardian's number one enemy. You guys are Easter's easy targets, and only ones. Children aren't much of a hassle to get rid of, so here I am."

Alice motioned, "Isn't it a bit odd that someone would transfer in nearing summer break? Hinamori-san may have not mentioned it to you Guardian's, but there seems to be a new enemy running amuck. I wonder who that may be?" she said, "My objective is a simple one: Befriend you Guardian's, and create your downfall. I'm not someone you all were meant to really get involved with, that's the number one rule from this whole situation. Do you understand?"

"... What's your full name?" The question was off-topic, and that irked Alice. It came out of nowhere. _Had he not been listening?_ She asked, _did he not really hear her?_

( _Could he not tell how grievous this dilemma is? How it important this conversation was?_ )

She closed her eyes, and counted before saying, "It's not of importance, you know my first name. Isn't that enough?"

Souma gave her a look, "What do you mean? Of course it's important!"

"No, what's important is this conversation! Don't you get it? I'm willingly giving you the answers that you kept asking for!" Alice glared, her patience running thin. She's so sick of him! Amakawa-san said all she needed was to be honest with the boy. And _he'd listen._

What a fucking liar.

"What's your name?" Her nostrils flared, making Alice look a bit like a dragon. _"I am a traitor!_ I was sent to befriend you Guardians, and grasp intel so Easter could destroy you all! My betrayal was supposed make an impact, that way none of you will be willing to fight me when the time came."

"The time came for what?" His hands squeeze together, nervously.

"Easter creates many plans: Some working, others failing. So far, many of them have been in-between since you lot came along, and because of that, _Gozen_ has gotten quite… Angry."

"Gozen?" Souma repeated. "Who is that?"

"It's as the name says, he's Easter's true boss."

"True boss?" He drawled in repetition. Like how he usually did. "Boss? Does that perhaps mean that there is another mock-boss?"

"Director," she corrected him. "We call him the Director. No one messes with him, no one disobeys his orders."

He gave Alice an unimpressed look. "Really? _Nobody?_ "

She glared at him, "Some do, but I prefer not to play into that discussion." Souma tried to say something else, but Alice interrupted him. "Words can't describe what defiance will bring to one, so I'll just show you instead.

That black choker she seemed to always be wearing, Souma soon realized why it was always there in the first place.

 **.**

"Lower that section of the bandages, and you'll see what I mean."

He unwillingly did as she told.

It was disgusting. Everything was so raw, and disfigured. Souma didn't dare to wonder, or ask how Alice was currently doing. He had always imagined his injuries were horridly bad, but this was worse.

"You're almost there." He nodded. Refusing to say a thing. Not being careful though, he accidently pulled back some loose skin. He wretched his hand immediately away as Alice bent over. She didn't make a single sound. Only shook for a bit before telling Souma to continue.

He refused too. He was shaking himself because he was afraid. He didn't want to hurt her anymore.

"Just go! You only have one more." She harshly told him.

"How do you even know it's still there?" Souma didn't even know what the thing on her back was! She only instructed him to keep going. Convincing him for a fact, _something was there!_

"Trust me," her hands tightened around her arms, making the skin around turn red. He lightly touched her hands to make her stop. "It was the first thing those fucking nurses noticed. It stands out more than your eyes, but not in the good way. Keep going."

Souma begrudgingly did so. He was slower than ever now. And this made Alice impatient.

Right when she was about to scold him again, it was if the God's had finally answered her prayers. She didn't need to see Souma's expression to discover he'd finally reached their end goal. His hands falling from her back said it all.

The bar code on her back was very clear against the maroon and deep cuts. The bold letters underneath were clearly seen to spell out **EASTER** , and there was even that little box with coding inside right above it.

Souma didn't know what to feel.

 **.**

"I'll have to leave Seiyo Academy." She told him, "I'll still be in Japan, but they'll transfer me elsewhere. Except now they won't hesitate to send me off to defeat you Guardians."

He wiped his mouth clean, and expectantly gazed at her. She always had more to say.

"So here's a bit of advice: Why not just stop, give up what you're doing? Nobody will blame you. After all, no one's _actually_ aware of your contribution. Who are you trying to prove yourselves too? Why are you even bothering to fight? No one's going to call you heroes or praise you. All of what do in the end is just insignificant.

And I have a feeling, deep down you all know that. We're just children in the end."

 **.**

"That's stupid." Alice looked up, slightly offended. "What you just said was all stupid. Why would Easter go that far? Don't they have anything better to do with their time?"

She rolled her eyes, "It isn't as stupid as you think when you're actually integrated within them. Just be quiet, and follow along like a good boy."

Souma huffed in annoyance. He was really getting tired of Alice's attitude. Why was she like this, suddenly? Was this genuinely her true self?

Could she really not see he was trying to help her?

"If you want me to follow your plan, and give up what we've been dedicated to do- Why don't you just admit to the other's what you just told me?" He asked, slight desperation evident in his voice. "We could help you, Alice!" He pulled out his phone, and showed it to her.

The other's numbers were on speed-dial.

"P-please, please don't c-call them!" Her eyes were full of tears. She grasped onto him for dear life. "After everything I've shown and told you, do you still not get it?!"

He didn't know what to do as Alice began to sob hysterically, and fearful. Her murky eyes were wide and crazed, face completely wet. His school shirt was becoming soaked. Souma felt uncomfortable, and guilty.

His face scrunched up. Hiccupping, Alice slowly brought up her cold hands and held his face. She looked like a mess, and the heart monitor attached to her was going crazy behind them both.

Alice was aware of that. So she made her next move quick.

"You've g-got to help m-me…!" She begged, her stutters and actions quite sloppy. "Y-You can't call them! P-please! They can't know because I still might have a chance…!"

He looked at her with wide eyes.

"You're the only one who knows about my secret! You could help me by keeping quiet!" She smiled in a crazy way at him. Souma looked uneasy, and slightly fearful himself. She felt his hand shadow over her shoulders. He was going to push her away, Alice panicked silently. She needed to tone it down, she went overboard.

"Are you aware of what you're asking me?!" His emerald eyes held anger. Souma's voice rose towards her. Alice tightened his grasp on his shirt, and cursed mentally. It wasn't working! She did go overboard, pulling a blunt stunt like that.

" _If all goes wrong, use that name."_

Alice decided to use her trump card. It was all or nothing now. She doubts it'd work, but at this point, what more did she have to lose. She's already in the hospital, and more crippling debt has been placed upon her shoulders.

Alice did her best to make this the greatest performance she's ever done.

 **.**

"This is the only thing I ask of you," She shook, "I know you don't owe me, and you've only known me for three days, but please…!" Her voice cracked, and her tears kept rolling down her face. Her forehead was placed on his chest lightly. Hands barely grasping his wrinkled, and wet shirt. She made herself feel tired, and look like she was in despair.

Alice was defeated.

"I'm begging you…" This was it. She slowly looked up at him, and said, "Please, _Kukai_."

 **.**

There was moment after that where he only stared at her, seemingly breathless. His body mellowed out as his previously angered features, softened. Carefully, he bought his arms around Alice's figure, and awkwardly hugged her. She barely returned it, preferring to use that time to wipe away her snot and tears.

Quietly, she murmured "Thank you," and found herself in a lightly tighter embrace than before.

 **.**

Deceit was just what she used, though honesty was thrown into the mix as well. Alice realized that Amakawa-san was right. This was the way to go.

Souma managed to learn, and listen.

…

However, her heart beat wasn't the only one heard in the room, that day.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _I-I'll… I'll help you then."_

" _Promise?"_

"… _Promise. And, I won't say a word to the others."_

 _Alice smiled._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **My goal for Alice is to make her a "bad child." I doubt I got the conniving part down, but I didn't want to make her to much of a victim. Weird, right?**

 **(Did that make sense?)**

 **Plus, I feel like she acts older than she should… Hm… Oh well. That's why we have Kukai!**

 **He seems pretty ignorant and too innocent in this chapter (that's I how I saw it, at least), but he was wishy-washy? Alice to Guardians, back to back. Ultimately, he chose Alice. Not in the good way though. Aside from that though, I felt like it fit? He is a kid, after all.**

 **Alice is aware that they're** _ **all kids.**_ **So I feel like naturally, he would've called out Easter for their stupid shit.**

 **And Ikuto!**

…

 **Kukai gets a future-feebie…?**


End file.
